My job is to get things done.
Time and time again when I was growing up in Chesterfield in the 1980s and 1990s, people used to see all the time and attention going to other parts of the country. That was one of the reasons I got involved in politics; I wanted to change things and to sort out some of the issues that we had seen growing in North East Derbyshire for decades.
And, since 2017, I hope I’ve shown I can do that. On the doorsteps, I’m often told politicians are all the same and asked the question: “well, what have you actually done for our area?” And, there’s no doubt that there is always more to do (and the new list I’m focusing on can be found here) but we’ve made loads of progress in the last six years. That has included:
- Massively improved hospital A&E facilities at the Royal
- Banking coming back to the High Street in Clay Cross
- Transformation regeneration funds for two of our towns
- Upgrades to our leisure centres
- Slowing down inappropriate housing development to a trickle after years of problems caused by the failure of the Labour Council
- Huge broadband and fibre upgrades
- Winning funds for a new school in Wingerworth
- Gaining commitments for two new train stations at Killamarsh and Staveley
Find out more on each of these below.
As your MP, I’ve been committed to making sure North East Derbyshire gets its fair share. I hope I’ve shown, over the 7 years I’ve been elected, that I’ve made a really strong start on that. And, together, we can do even more! That's why I hope you'll re-elect me on 4th July - there's so much more to do!
Improvement 1: New A&E at the Royal – COMPLETED AND OPEN!
Last year we had the amazing opening of the new A&E at the Royal. I know how key the Royal is for everybody in North East Derbyshire and a project I personally pushed hard with Government. It was brilliant to see doors open to patients in June of last year.
Upgrades to the Royal and in particular a new A&E are something that our area had needed for several decades and it was great to see the project get over the line – and, also, that the Trust managed it so well to get it opened on time and to budget. I know that the work on improving our local health services doesn't stop there and we have more to come later this year with the opening of the new Hartington unit. We also have lots more to do on access to GPs.
Improvement 2: New Banking Hub for Clay Cross – COMPLETED AND OPEN!
In November last year we saw the opening of the Clay Cross Banking Hub, bringing banking services back to Clay Cross for the first time in six years since Lloyds closed their doors in 2017.
Back in 2022 when I made the application for a banking hub for the town, I would hardly have believed it if you would have said, a year later, the ribbon would be being cut on the new branch, particularly given that we were one of the earliest in the country to get a hub. The hub is located at the old Fultons Food Store at units 7-9, the Parade and has access to all major high street banks who rotate depending on the day of the week.
I was so pleased to see this hub open and the feedback from residents has been really positive. However, I know there is always more to do and I am going to be pushing for more banking hubs in other places across North East Derbyshire in need of banking services like Eckington, Dronfield and elsewhere in the future.
Improvement 3: Full Upgrade to Killamarsh Active – COMPLETED AND OPEN!
When I was first elected back in 2017, one of the big issues that came up time and time again in Killamarsh was that the leisure centre was tired and that it was costing a massive amount to ratepayers – with each household being charged around £100 a year to cover the losses that were being made at the centre.
So, in 2019, we made the case to Killamarsh to change this. And, on the back of the Parish and District Councils changing to Conservative for the first time ever, we were able to finally get some movement after decades of the local Labour party refusing to do anything.
Fast forward to 2021 and the new Killamarsh Active opened. Nearly £2 million pounds was invested in a massive upgrade to the facilities with an 80 station gym, a large soft play area, a refurbished 3G football pitch and so much more. Killamarsh Active is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when local government works and you have Councillors and an MP who want to get things done.
Improvement 4: Stopped Fracking in Eckington – DONE!
When I was first elected as your MP in 2017, I pledged to you that I would fight to stop fracking coming to our area – it was needed, it wasn’t wanted and it would have completed industralised the countryside around where it was proposed in Marsh Lane.
And, between 2017 and 2019, I got to work. As soon as I arrived in Parliament, I set up the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fracking to make the case against fracking. I held debates, asked questions, met Ministers and put together a clear argument as to why fracking wasn’t needed or wanted in North East Derbyshire.
And, after a long campaign by residents and myself, the government finally announced a moratorium on fracking in November 2019, meaning no fracking would be coming to Marsh Lane or North East Derbyshire as a whole.
In 2022, when it looked like there was a chance it might return, I worked behind the scenes to stop it and to win a ‘local consent lock’ meaning that local residents would have the final say. Happily, the moratorium was reconfirmed and fracking has gone away again.
I will continue to stand against fracking, just as I promised, in the unlikely event that it returns in the future.
Improvement 5: Local Development Plan in place – DONE!
North East Derbyshire has suffered from massive problems for years resulting, by 2019, in over 1,000 houses being built in inappropriate places because the Labour District Council at the time failed to put in place a plan which would protect our area for over a decade. By 2018, they had got themselves into such a bad place that they were one of just a handful of Councils to receive a letter from the Government stating that they weren’t doing their job properly. They completed failed residents and caused a big problem on infrastructure and congestion.
Working with local Councillors, in 2019, the Conservatives won control of the District Council and set about fixing this. And, in 2021, a new local plan was put in place – which means that everyone knows what will, and what won’t, be developed in the coming years and put a meaningful end to massive speculative development in our area. And it had an immediate impact – applications such as the one on Coupe Lane, Old Tupton, happily were withdrawn.
None of this process was easy and the truth is that the local plan is far from perfect. Yet, politicians are voted in to take difficult decisions and, by 2021 and based on decisions Labour had taken years earlier, the choice was between an imperfect local plan or ‘open season’ remaining in our area for years. The plan adopted has significantly slowed down poor development. It also, in truth, means we have to battle some applications that are unnecessary when they come forward – and that is what I will continue to do, supporting residents just as I promised.
Improvement 6: Extensive Broadband Upgrades – UNDERWAY!
North East Derbyshire doesn’t just need improvements to physical connectivity but, also, digital links too. Since 2017, I have worked with local communities who have slow broadband or fibre speeds to try to fix that. And we have had lots of success – with villages like Spinkhill coming on line for the first time.
Now, I’m working with Openreach and others to try to get the next generation of ultra-fast broadband rolled out to local communities as quickly as possible.
Improvement 7: New Railway Stations for Staveley & Killamarsh – WON!
Late last year, after three years of campaigning, we won the campaign to re-open the Barrow Hill line to passenger traffic. That will mean when it opens, for the first time in 60 years, that passenger trains stop again at Staveley / Barrow Hill and Killamarsh. In only three years we have gone from preliminary conversations on potentially bringing the line back, to an amazing government announcement that the Barrow Hill Line will be restored and new stations will be built at both Staveley/Barrow Hill and Killamarsh – all possible thanks to money freed up from the cancellation of HS2.
Now the job is to deliver both of these stations – and I’m working closely with Network Rail to make that happen in the years ahead!
Improvement 8: A new primary school for Wingerworth – WON!
When the Labour District Council messed up planning in our area between 2005 and 2019, they also messed up infrastructure delivery and, when I was elected in 2017, the local Councils had no plan about how to bring additional facilities on for a growing population. We have seen that across roads, hospitals and other services – but one of the biggest one was school capacity in the south of the constituency. Despite approving very big developments at places like The Avenue and Biwaters, the Labour Council didn’t demand developers paid for new schools, as they should have. Consequently, we were facing a crunch when pupil numbers started climbing in the south of North East Derbyshire.
To try to fix, I lobbied Government hard and, in 2021, we were successful in winning funds to open a new primary school at The Avenue – filling in the funding gap from before. The preparatory work has been underway for sometime and we are expecting a planning application to be submitted later this year. I’ll keep working until those doors open to pupils for the first time!
Improvements 9 and 10: £25 Million for Clay Cross Town Deal and £25 Million for Staveley Town Deal – BEING DELIVERED!
Back in 2019, we were one of just 100 places around the country to win town regeneration funds. In fact, we went one step further – we didn’t just win one set of funds for one town but, instead, we doubled it. As a result, £25 million was allocated both to Clay Cross and Staveley – all to spend on improvements for local residents, businesses and the communities.
We’ve got until 2026 to spend this combined £50 million across both towns and the work is well underway. In Clay Cross, this is funding a significant town centre regeneration, re-opening of some of the roads, a new leisure centre at Sharley Park and a detailed plan for a new Clay Cross railway station, amongst others.
Meanwhile in Staveley, we will see the Chesterfield Canal restoration getting going again, a town centre regeneration project, the refurbishment of the Barrow Hill Memorial Hall, a new commercial facility at Staveley Basin and improvements to the Hartington industrial park.
You can find the latest on the Clay Cross Town Deal here and Staveley here.
