Chesterfield town hall

Historic first meeting for new East Midlands Combined County Authority

The first meeting of the new East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) took place in Chesterfield last week – with council leaders making a series of decisions that establish the organisation’s constitution, budget and plans to improve the lives of everyone who lives and works in the region.

The EMCCA Board, made up of the four leaders and deputy leaders from Derbyshire, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham councils debated a number of key reports at their first meeting on 20 March at Chesterfield Borough Council.

They were joined by representatives from district and borough councils across the area, who will join the Board at the next meeting planned for after the mayoral election.

The meeting was chaired by Cllr Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, who said: “Our shared ambition for our place and the people we serve has united us over the past few years and will continue to be the driving force behind all we do as EMCCA develops and grows.

“The £4 billion of government funding on the table for us through the devolution deal is just the start.

“We aim to attract more investment by making things happen and turning round historic under-investment in the East Midlands so the regional economy is stronger and better for local residents.”

The board meeting took place in Chesterfield ahead of elections for the region’s first Mayor, on Thursday 2 May. After the election future board meetings will be chaired by the Mayor.

Following the board meeting more than 100 partners and stakeholders joined political leaders in a launch event to hear more about EMCCA’s future plans.

The group discussed the strategic framework that focuses on the importance of growing the region’s economy for everyone’s benefit by targeting investment to speed up economic growth, improving transport links to towns, cities and major employers in the East Midlands and improving skills support and training in key sectors.

The launch event was supported by SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities, which is wholly-owned by six local authority shareholders, including the four constituent councils involved in the EMCCA.

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Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

Local Proclamation of King Charles III held at Chesterfield Town Hall

Crowds gathered outside Chesterfield Town Hall to witness a local ceremony to proclaim the accession of King Charles III last weekend, Sunday, 11 September.

Councillor Tony Rogers, Mayor of Chesterfield, read the Local Proclamation from the balcony of the Town Hall, as part of a series of official events held across the country this weekend to mark the historic occasion.

It follows a meeting of the Accession Council on Saturday, 10 September at St James’s Palace in London, to formally proclaim Charles as the new sovereign.

Councillor Rogers said: “We remain united in collective sorrow following the passing of HM The Queen and we will continue to reflect together as a community during this period of national mourning.

“Today’s ceremony was an important moment in the history of our country, and our borough, as we came together to mark the local Proclamation of King Charles III reign as our new sovereign.

“It was touching to see so many across our community unite for this historic occasion and, on behalf of the people of Chesterfield in my role as Mayor, I was honoured to play my part in this unforgettable moment in history.”

The Union Flag was temporarily raised to full-mast in line with the national Proclamation protocol. It has now been lowered to half-mast to mark the ongoing national mourning period.

The Union Flag, which is currently flying at half-mast above the Town Hall, will be temporarily raised to full-mast at 11am on Saturday morning until 1pm on Sunday, in line with the national Proclamation protocol.

Businesses and local leaders across the town also paid their respects last week. Find out more at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/2022/09/chesterfield-leaders-and-businesses-pay-tribute-to-queen-elizabeth-ii/

People are also reminded that they can lay tributes including flowers at the official memorial site at Queen’s Park bandstand, and Books of Condolence are available at locations across the borough.

Meanwhile Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire church has announced a memorial service will be taking place there at the weekend:

Posted in About Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Love Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , ,

Chesterfield’s latest Mayor set to be sworn in

Councillor Tony Rogers is set to begin his term of office as Chesterfield’s 381st Mayor, taking over the position as the borough’s civic head for the coming year.

Councillor Rogers will be sworn in at Chesterfield Borough Council’s Annual Council Meeting on Wednesday 11 May.

On the following Saturday (14 May) Chesterfield residents are invited to come and celebrate Chesterfield’s new Mayor at the annual Civic Parade which will take place in the town centre.

Councillor Rogers said: “I am proud to be representing the residents of the borough of Chesterfield and would like to thank them for their continued support. I hope to meet as many residents as possible over the coming year.”

The Civic Parade is an opportunity to celebrate the new Mayor. The parade will leave from the Town Hall at 10.40am and will head through the town centre to the Church of St Mary and All Saints (Crooked Spire) where there will be a service at 11am.  At noon the parade will return to the Town Hall.

There will be several dignitaries from across Derbyshire in attendance at the parade, along with Freemen, Aldermen, and Former Mayors of Chesterfield, and organisations such as the Chesterfield Sea and Royal Marine Cadets will be out in force.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the parade and Church service, with seats being allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Originally from South-West England, Tony was born in 1938 and after leaving school he worked as an agricultural merchant at South Devon Farmers Limited, where he trained to be a manager and sold farming goods. At the age of 17, Tony was called up to serve in the British Army for two years. Upon return from his national service, he set up his own company, Tony Rogers Agricultural Ltd, selling animal feed, before managing Hotel Kildare, his family’s business in Kingsbridge, Devon for 15 years.

He married his wife Sharon in 1979 and together they moved to Chesterfield in 1990. Tony and Sharon now have eight grandchildren who they love to spend time with, and a rescue dog, Lottie, who came from Bulgaria to become part of the family.

Tony was elected as Liberal Democrat councillor for Moor ward and has served the community through several terms of office for over 11 years. Tony has dedicated a lot of his time to being on the board of trustees and the chairman of Hope Springs recovery centre, which was a day centre for residents recovering from alcohol and drug addiction and the associated mental health issues.

Sharon Rogers will serve as Mayoress for this coming civic year. Sharon was born in Michigan in the USA before moving to Nottingham in the 1950s. She followed a career in nursing, specialising in paediatric nursing and children’s intensive care, eventually becoming a Senior Sister. At the age of 21, Sharon was the youngest doubly qualified sister in the UK.

In retirement she worked as Manager of the Hope Springs Recovery Centre where she also served as a Trustee until it closed in 2019. She is currently an active board member for The Volunteer Centre in Chesterfield.

Councillor Rogers and his wife replace Councillor Glenys Falconer and Councillor Keith Falconer, who served as mayor and consort for an extended term of office due to the pandemic from October 2020 until April 2022.

Councillor Mick Brady will serve as Deputy Mayor, and the Deputy Mayoress will be Councillor Suzie Perkins.

The Mayor carries out civic ceremonial duties and chairs meetings of full council. They are elected on an annual basis by full council.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Home, Love Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

Residents offered the chance to go ‘behind the scenes’ at iconic Chesterfield buildings

Residents and visitors in Chesterfield will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at a some of the town’s iconic buildings this September, as part of the Heritage Open Days event taking place across the country.

Heritage Open Days take place every September and see organisations and volunteers across the country organise events to celebrate the nation’s history and culture.

To celebrate the initiative this year, Chesterfield Borough Council is opening the doors to a number of its venues for people to explore.

Mayor’s parlour and council chamber tours

Residents will have the opportunity to visit the mayor’s parlour and council chamber where the Chesterfield Mayor and Consort – Councillor Glenys Falconer and Councillor Keith Falconer – will be on hand to talk about their roles at the council, including chairing full council meetings and the duties they carry out on a weekly basis.

Two tours will take place at 11am on both Thursday 16 September and Friday 17 September and will take around an hour and a half to complete. People can register to attend one of the tours by contacting Leanne Mowbray, member and civic support officer, on 01246 345239, or by email at: Mayors.Office@chesterfield.gov.uk.  Places are limited, so booking is essential.

Revolution House

Revolution House will also be re-opening its doors and welcoming visitors back for the first time since December 2019 for two Heritage Open Days. Visitors can come along between 11am and 3pm on Sunday 12 and Sunday 19 September to find out more about the history of the House. The House takes its name from the Revolution of 1688 when three local noblemen met to begin planning their part in events which led to the overthrow of King James II in favour of William and Mary of Orange.

Entry to the House is free, but donations are welcome.

Chesterfield Museum stores

There will also be an opportunity to go behind the scenes and explore one of Chesterfield Museum’s offsite stores. On Saturday 11 September visitors will have the chance to discover some of the larger items collected by the museum that would be difficult to display in the museum itself. The tour will also explore how the museum looks after the town’s collection so the objects can be enjoyed by generations to come.

The tour will take place at Unit 1, Calow Brook Drive, Off Calow Lane, Hasland, Chesterfield, S41 0DR. Booking is not required and visitors just need to arrive by 11am to join the tour.

For those unable to attend the behind-the-scenes events, the team at Chesterfield Museum will be posting a video online which explores fascinating parts of history. Working with History’s Maid, the latest video which will be shared is ‘History of Tea’ – from Catherine of Braganaza to the two world wars, tea has been a British necessity. For more information or to view the video visit the Chesterfield Museum Facebook page or www.chesterfield.gov.uk.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “Heritage Open Days provide an exciting and interesting way to learn more about key venues, the history and how they operate on a day-to-day basis so we are really pleased to be opening the doors to some of our key venues so people can explore.

“We hope that plenty of residents and visitors will take the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes and find out more about the history of our borough.”

For more information on the Heritage Open Days, visit www.visitchesterfield.info/whats-on

Posted in About Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

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