This is a review of the activities of the South Darley Parish Council in 2021-22.
During the course of the past year, we have agreed a set of new parish council aims and a new community engagement strategy.
Natural Environment
One of our objectives is to provide facilities for the appreciation of the environment. Part of this relates to the extensive network of footpaths used by residents and ramblers. Our footpath warden has continued to keep the paths free of surface vegetation as much as possible given budget constraints and to carry out strimming along with waymarking. We also maintain several benches.
We maintain the plantation at Cross Green for use by residents and by children at South Darley school. There are considerable costs to maintain a healthy and safe environment, not least hedge cutting, maintenance, necessary tree felling associated with ash die-back and tree planting.
We have renewed our approach to our allotments including parking, signage, a renewed contract, sub-dividing large plots to increase this opportunity and introduced a new policy on allocation, giving priority to parish residents. We have refreshed our waiting list and if you would like to be in line for an allotment when one becomes available, please see the allotment section on the website.
Environmental Issues
We work with local businesses, organisations and neighbouring parishes for the benefit of the parish and the wider area. We are advocates for the parish in other levels of government and represent resident views in consultations on planning proposals and future developments by both Derbyshire Dales District Council and the Peak District National Park Authority. We have responded to domestic and commercial planning applications, to proposed boundary changes as well as to the major housing development at Cawdor Quarry, a significant part of which falls within our parish.
We have continued to liaise with relevant authorities and local business about environmental issues and we host liaison meetings with Ecobat (Enthovens). We continue to work with the Derbyshire CC on traffic issues, public transport, multiple road closures and gritting. We provide a number of grit bins, in addition to the DCC bins, and keep these replenished.
We work with the Environment Agency in relation to industry impacts on the environment and to flood prevention. We are keen to take a team-approach to the role of flood warden so if you are interested in knowing more about how you might contribute, please get in touch.
Safety
Over the past year, we have met and liaised with Police Community Support Officers over illegal parking and speeding as well as general crime and anti-social behaviour. We have undertaken regular Speedwatch exercises (typically on the B5057) to monitor the speed of vehicles, both passing the details of vehicles exceeding the speed limit to the police who contact the vehicle owner and raising general patterns of offending and dangerous driving for the police to act upon.
A third defibrillator is being installed in Snitterton, using resident donations and support plus a grant from the Ernest Bailey Trust. The two existing defibrillators were also purchased and are maintained by donations by residents. Thank you so much – we are very grateful. These defibrillators are at South Darley Village Hall and Wensley Reading Room – on their front walls with no code required. Finally, we have again paid for the maintenance of the clock in Cross Green as a public timepiece. We have also recently purchased some mapping software to be able to show the extent of the parish and its homesteads, the location of the parish council assets, the routes of footpaths that we maintain plus other historic and cultural community assets. This will be accessible via the website.