Residents meeting - Monday 16th July 2018

By Mandy Coons | Category: Centre News

Published on Thursday 19th July 2018 at 17:30

As most of us know, there has been a couple of major changes within the council these past few months. We have a new Mayor, Councillor Mike Carr from the Liberal Democrat party and the Conservatives are now leading the council. With these changes, leaders believed it to be a good idea to go out and connect with the public.
All parties were invited to attend a residents meeting at the Lonny Wilsoncroft community centre, located in the New Zealand area. The residents meeting was open to all members of Derby, not just to members of the Mackworth ward.
The councillors in attendance were, local Conservative Councillor of the Mackworth ward, Adrian Pegg, Conservative Councillor of the Chaddesden ward, Rob Cooper, Deputy leader and Conservative Councillor for the Mickleover ward, Matthew Holmes and UKIP leader and Councillor for the Alvaston ward, Alan Graves.
A representative from the police was also present at the beginning to answer any questions residents may have had, though she promptly left after answering those question.

A hot topic of the night was the plans of two city landmarks – Moorways swimming baths and the Assembly rooms. In the case of Moorways, the council have stated that they want to build a fifty-metre pool. However, they will consult with the residents of Derby about their ideas, to ensure that the council deliver what the people want. It is scheduled to reopen in 2020.

When discussing the Assembly rooms, a facility that has been an important part of Derby for several decades, Holmes said that it will be refurbished, not demolished, as previously stated by the old council.
There are new exciting plans ahead for the assembly rooms. Promises of making it, not only an entertainment establishment but also a place for big and small businesses to come for conferences. The council are working towards making every single space in the building viable. There was also news of the Darwin suite reopening.
When a resident asked if the council were willing to work with local businesses, especially those involved with the music scene, it was said that it was a distinct possibility.

Duckworth square was also brought up and the public was told that the ice rink complex would not go ahead. The council do want to bring new life into that area, however, at this moment in time, there are no current plans.

There was a lot of talk of bringing pride back into Derby. Though the council’s financial situation may not always allow for them to fix all the problems, as they need to save £12.2 million over the next year and £22.84 million over the next four, they say they are still trying their best.
They are also asking for the people of Derby to help.
One way the council and residents of Derby have come together is through the ‘City Centre Deep Clean’, which took place on Wednesday 18^th July 2018. There, organisations and volunteers cleaned specific zones in the city centre.
The highlight of the day was the waterfall finally being turned back on.

To help bring pride back into Derby, communities around the city can also do their bit as local residents found out as issues specific for the Mackworth ward were discussed. Residents expressed their desire for more compactor days, in which larger waste items will be picked up and taken away. The problem of letting agent signs being left up too long was also discussed, (more news to come later).
Adrian Pegg, the recently elected Mackworth ward councillor, informed that he would be walking around the area and encourages people to come over and say hello, or get in touch about any problems they may have.

When looking back over the evening, a consistent theme throughout the night was about the new council being completely open and honest with the people of Derby. Matthew Holmes kept returning to the idea of learning from past mistakes and making the city a better place with the help of Derby people. They are also wanting to work together with residents, asking for the input and ideas about projects.

It looks like there are exciting times ahead for the city and changes will happen. It is time for the people of Derby to be proud once again.