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If you're a working parent with a baby or a pre-school child you can apply now for up to 30 hours of funded childcare from this September.
 Eligible working families can now apply for the expanded 30 hours a week offer – up from the existing 15 hours – which becomes available to use from the term after their baby turns nine months old until they reach school age.
Check your eligibility online and apply before the deadline of Sunday 31 August 2025 to begin using government-funded hours in the September autumn term.
Families who are already in receipt of the existing 15 hours for working families will automatically become entitled to 30 hours, providing they have reconfirmed their code before the deadline shown in their childcare account.
The Government scheme is designed to support young children’s early education and help families better balance work and home life.
We’ve welcomed £7.6 million for major new road safety improvements along the A57 Snake Pass
The funding has come from the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Fund, to improve safety along the most high-risk roads in England.
The money will be targeted at a 23-mile stretch of the A57 between Glossop and Sheffield.
The route is the highest road in Derbyshire and includes a series of steep bends, twists and blind junctions.
The road is used by more than 30,000 vehicles each week including local farm vehicles, and is popular with motorcyclists and cyclists.
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A reminder that if you're aged 19 to 21, or know someone who is, you'll be interested in our pilot scheme for our new b_line3 card.
Our popular b_line card scheme, which offers single bus fares for £1.50 to youngsters aged 11 to 19, is being extended to more young people aged from 19 up until their 22nd birthday.
The new scheme for 19 to 21-year-olds will be run as a pilot until 31 December 2025.
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b_line3 cards will be valid for £1.50 single fares on many of the county’s bus routes. These include those run by Stagecoach, High Peak, Arriva, Diamond, Central Connect, SPCT and Andrew’s of Tideswell services for journeys starting and/or ending in Derbyshire (including Derby city). At the moment the b_line3 scheme does not include any buses run by TrentBarton.
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It's 80 years since the end of the Second World War, a war that saved our freedom at enormous cost, and our libraries are inviting you to get involved in an art project to reflect on what freedom means to you.
This is part of a nationwide campaign called Our Freedom – Then and Now, in which libraries and arts centres will create special cultural events, exhibitions and performances.
We are inviting local people and community groups to informal events in our libraries to share their thoughts and ideas about freedom.
The events will take place at five county council libraries – Belper, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Ilkeston, and Eckington on these dates:
- Thurs 24 July, 10am-12noon at Bolsover Library
- Fri 25 July, 10am-12noon at Ilkeston Library
- Mon 28 July, 2pm-4pm at Chesterfield Library
- Weds 30 July, 10am-12noon at Belper Library
- Thurs 31 Jul, 2pm-4pm at Eckington Library.
The ideas will then be transformed into community events for the autumn, with the support of local artists. These events will be unique to the town they take place in, reflecting the varied nature and heritage of Derbyshire.
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Do you travel along the A628 at Woodhead, north of Glossop?
Our colleagues at National Highways are advising drivers to expect delays at peak travel times due to work they're carrying out on the A628 at Woodhead from today (Monday 21 July).
There’ll be two-way lights on the road from 7am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, so that workers can repair a cascade that carries water from a culvert under the road down to the stream feeding Woodhead Reservoir.
The cascade is between the Woodhead Station access road and Salter’s Brook bridge, near the Derbyshire / South Yorkshire border.
Earlier this year highways inspectors found some of the stone steps had moved, allowing water to escape onto the surrounding hillside and risking erosion of the embankment.
This work is expected to be complete in early October. National Highways will share further updates on social media as they are confirmed.
📸Woodhead Cascade image: National Highways
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Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Alan Graves invited Derbyshire MPs to come to County Hall in Matlock to be officially introduced to his new Cabinet for the first time since forming the new administration following May’s local elections.
Working together to support Derbyshire residents and strengthen communities was the clear message to come out of the meeting.
A number of issues were discussed, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), flooding, council communications, the Ada Belfield Centre in Belper, council tax levies, road safety and the National Grid proposal to build more pylons across a section of the county.
In welcoming the MPs, Councillor Graves highlighted positive work at the county council, including setting a balanced budget despite many challenges and the strengthening of efforts to tackle potholes.
📸 Pictured left to right: Front row: Louise Jones MP, Cllr Dawn Abbott, Jonathan Davies MP, Cllr Carol Wood, Cllr Charlotte Hill. Middle row: Cllr Joss Barnes, Cllr Jack Bradley, Linsey Farnsworth MP, Council Leader Cllr Alan Graves, Adam Thompson MP, Toby Perkins MP, John Whitby MP, Cllr John Lawson. Back row: Cllr Stephen Reed, Council Deputy Leader Cllr Robert Reaney, Cllr Sam Redfern.
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Do you have primary-aged children in your family? Why not get them involved in the Summer Reading Challenge and help to keep their reading skills up over the long school holiday?
Sign up at your local library any time throughout the summer. This year’s theme is Story Garden – Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors.
Youngsters are encouraged to read six or more library books. They'll collect up to six stickers and, once they've collected them all, they'll have completed the challenge and will be awarded a medal and certificate.
The challenge will see activities taking place at most Derbyshire libraries. Check out what's happening at yours.
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If you'd like to create new woodland on your land or in your community, you still have time to book onto our FREE online event. .
It takes place on Tuesday 22 July from 6-7pm, book your free place.
Grants are available for landowners, farmers and communities in eastern and southern Derbyshire to plant trees and hedgerows, boost biodiversity and tackle climate change.
Trees can enhance wildlife, mitigate flood risks and absorb noise along with many other benefits and our Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest team is here to support you with 100% funding for all the costs of woodland creation, including:
- tree planting
- hedgerows
- fencing and gate installation
- advice and support
- ongoing maintenance to ensure the new woodland thrives.
The project, funded by England’s Community Forests supported by Defra, aims to provide more green space to Derbyshire residents, particularly in areas with less woodland, supporting our ambition to plant a million trees by 2030.
Watch our short films about new woodland planted at Denby and Tibshelf and hear from those involved.
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