Derbyshire mounts legal challenge against Sheffield
The leader of Derbyshire County Council says the authority has been left “with little choice” after it announced a legal challenge over proposals to put a Sheffield City Region Mayor in charge of some council services in Chesterfield.
Councillor Anne Western said the County Council is seeking permission from the High Court in London for a judicial review into a public consultation about the proposals by Sheffield City Region Combined Authority – a group made up of Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham councils.
Action was taken by Derbyshire County Council after it claimed Sheffield City Region ignored its calls to withdraw the consultation amid fundamental concerns that it was “misleading and flawed”.
If the plans go ahead, responsibility would pass to a Sheffield City Region Mayor and combined authority for key services in Chesterfield including major roads, funding for maintenance and road safety on all roads in the borough, public transport, travel concessions (Gold Card and b_line), skills for employment and major planning and investment projects.
Councillor Western said: “If these proposals go ahead, it will affect the people of Chesterfield and Derbyshire for generations to come and yet the consultation doesn’t tell the full story or ask the right questions − so how can people give an informed view?
“We don’t believe the proposals are in the best interests of anyone living in Derbyshire − least of all people living in Chesterfield.
“The county council has a responsibility to act in the best interests of all its residents and we could not sit idly by and watch South Yorkshire break up Derbyshire without a proper consultation.
“I’ve had a lot of phone calls and emails asking me directly: What are you going to do about this?
“We’re responding to local people’s concerns − listening to them rather than telling them what is best for them.”
She added: “I know we’ll be criticised for taking this action by some who claim it’s not the best use of money.
“But the fact is that if Chesterfield becomes a full member of Sheffield City Region it will undoubtedly be at a huge financial cost to Derbyshire County Council − and therefore Derbyshire taxpayers − in making our services fit in with new arrangements for Chesterfield, not to mention around £1m in business rates from Markham Vale which would all be transferred to Sheffield City Region.”
If a judicial review goes ahead, the county council will present evidence to a High Court judge and ask for Sheffield City Region’s consultation to be quashed.
Councillor Western said: “It all boils down to the simple fact that local people didn’t ask for this and weren’t given a proper opportunity to have their say about the real issues.
“It’s a big decision with no easy way back if Chesterfield becomes a full member of Sheffield City Region and I don’t want local people to wake up one morning, realise what’s happened and ask ‘Where was the county council in all of this?’
“We’ve got a moral duty to fight for our residents and protect them against things we believe will put them at a disadvantage.
“Chesterfield is Derbyshire’s biggest town, most people who live there also work in Derbyshire and they don’t want to become a suburb of Sheffield − which is effectively what will happen if these plans go ahead.
“We need to act now and send out a strong message to help put a stop to these proposals or risk Chesterfield spending the next 30 years living in South Yorkshire’s shadow.”
Sheffield City Region’s public consultation and engagement exercise, which cost £350,000, closes on Friday 12 August 2016.
The county council launched its own online poll asking whether people wanted Chesterfield to become a full member of Sheffield City Region with a Sheffield City Region Mayor. Around 4,000 people voted and 92% said no.
