Devolution - Chesterfield Sheffield

[Old Cruser]

Scimitar - thoughts on number 6?

It reads as if everything stays the same apart from transport - is there a real purpose to all this then apart from chesterfield getting a lot of money and the transport change?


1. Devolution mans that local decision makers will be given extra powers and responsibilities that are currently held by ministers and civil servants in London. These are different to the everyday powers local councils have.

2. Our councillors voted at a meeting in April that Chesterfield should be a full member of the Sheffield City Region devolution deal and a non-constituent member of the North Midlands Combined Authority area.

3. Sheffield City Region has agreed a deal with the Government which would allow Chesterfield access to £900 million of funding over the next 30 years along with £484 million over five years.

The North Midlands Combined Authority has no devolution deal agreed.

4. Chesterfield is not leaving Derbyshire – no decision will change the borough’s boundaries. Chesterfield will remain a part of Derbyshire We will not become part of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Nottingham or Nottinghamshire.

5. All Chesterfield Borough Council services will stay exactly as they are and no other council will be able to dictate how they are run. This includes day-to-day council house decisions, as well as services like sports centres, parks and open spaces, collecting rubbish and cleaning the streets.

6. Derbyshire County Council services for Chesterfield residents – including schools, social care and libraries - will also stay the same, except for some public transport powers. The devolution deal will mean that public transport services are integrated across administrative boundaries to better meet the needs of local people. Derbyshire County Council will remain responsible for highways maintenance in Chesterfield.

7. There is no Derbyshire option to get devolution powers. The Government has ruled out Derbyshire receiving devolved powers on its own.

8. We are not merging with Sheffield City Council – they will not have control over the services we currently provide

9. The Government will only hand over the full range of devolved powers, including housing, some transport powers, skills and training and business support, if they are run by a combined authority and an elected mayor. The elected mayor for the region will have responsibility for the powers devolved from London to the local area.

10. The devolution deal would not affect Chesterfield’s mayor who carries out a civic rather than a political role.

11. Residents have already had the opportunity to take part in consultations on the issue of devolution. The public was encouraged to take part through public meetings, the local media, e-bulletins to the business, community and voluntary sectors, and through websites and social media.

12. The consultation runs from 1 July to 12 August. For more information, visit www.sheffieldcityregiondevolution.org.uk

[who can tell]

Brought and sold spring to mind

[Scimitar]

Regarding point 6 - I am confused on many points.
I know the future is uncertain in terms of free transport for Senior Citizens & Disabled If support is cut to bus companies.If the present level of funding disappears which is likely then the paying passenger will see potentially a rise in bus fares.
G&J Holmes in Clay Cross are likely to not survive for example.Their routes are funded by the local authority - until the funding stops - so what do they do apart from tender school runs?
Many fares across Derbyshire into South Yorkshire involve complicated fares which need to be simplified dramatically.
Bus companies already work with local councils so that's an existing arrangement in place.
When I first started out as a bus driver there was a fare that Senior Citizens paid quite happily - there was no free travel and I expect we will return to that to keep running services. As usual, if a service is not profitable it will be looked at or modified.
My point is that ticketing between Chesterfield and wherever you want to go to could & should be improved.
My worst fear is that lack of council funding means your last bus is 8pm. So get a taxi and see how much that costs you!

[who can tell]

As I have said before my Dad is a transport fan a while back he was on his favorite subject despite my best effects to get him to change the subject - buses. Anyway in fairness to him I ask him if he had the power to change public transport what would he do? Without a second thought he said he would bring it back to public ownership. OK I said why? His reply was to many companies are they to serve the shareholders not the travelling public many of the fares are high due to the need to keep the share holders happy. 508 million pounds is at present been payed out by central government to councils though out the country to keep buses running on non profit routes otherwise many routes would not have a bus. With the cuts planned it is likely that TM Travel, Hulleys of Baslow and Holmes travel would cease to trade Stagecoach and First can happy survive without central funding but would not run buses on not profitable routes remember they are private companies a fact lost on some of the travelling public but if the buses were returned to public ownership this becomes a less of an issue plus the profits could be used to fund other areas of council funding. My Dad has drawn a map of routes around Chesterfield its amazing how many their was to what their is now .

[Scimitar]

Fair point WCT - I remember many older drivers saying things were better when it was CCT - Chesterfield Corporation Transport.
I don't know if those days could be brought back though

[who can tell]

Fair point WCT - I remember many older drivers saying things were better when it was CCT - Chesterfield Corporation Transport.
I don't know if those days could be brought back though

I guessing the owners of First and Stagecoach would challenge any move to reinstate council ownership though the courts on the grounds of broken agreements. I doubt devolution money would be used for such a legal challenge either plus set up costs of buying new buses its a similar case with the railways the bottom line is transport will remain in private hands for the foreseeable future.

[Old Cruser]

Fair point WCT - I remember many older drivers saying things were better when it was CCT - Chesterfield Corporation Transport.
I don't know if those days could be brought back though

That's going backwards and they won't do that will they.

[Scimitar]

No they won't. Layover times are at a bare minimum.No spare buses hardly because a spare bus isn't taking fares. Staff breaks are at a minimum within the law. And so on.
I still think that the various South Yorkshire based companies (Stagecoach Chesterfield is ruled by Barnsley - yes you read that right) should simplify ticketing further complicated by SYPTE - cross border ticketing is a nightmare!
I'm sure the major bus companies & their shareholders would remonstrate in the event of bus companies being taken back to council control.
I don't see it happening to be fair.

[who can tell]

A recent Derbyshire County Council poll about Devolution has seen 92 per cent say no to any Sheffield merger. Will DCC take note or over rule popular feelings and go ahead with the 30 year deal?

[Scimitar]

Lets hope DCC go with the percentage stated which is more than you could ever hope for.

[Old Cruser]

What are Sheffield's bus prices like compared to ours.
Daughter recently went into Sheffield and was quite impressed that she only paid £1 for a 20 mins journey?

[who can tell]

What are Sheffield's bus prices like compared to ours.
Daughter recently went into Sheffield and was quite impressed that she only paid £1 for a 20 mins journey?

As a rule of thumb First are more expensive than Stagecoach , the tram is not too bad. But First have the majority of bus routes around Sheffield. Can't your Daughter get a Gold Card ?

[Old Cruser]

As a rule of thumb First are more expensive than Stagecoach , the tram is not too bad. But First have the majority of bus routes around Sheffield.

 Can't your Daughter get a Gold Card ?

Good question WCT - she has one but left it at home - 

[Scimitar]

2017 will be a major milestone in terms of Bus coverage. Only the fittest will survive, so the likes of local small bus companies - irrespective of their longitude in terms of service may see their most, or only profitable runs purchased by the bigger players.
I've already heard rumours about Hulley's possible future takeover at this early stage. Not that I would elaborate because it's all supposition at this early stage.
As I have said before, many small operators will simply fold through lack of local authority funding. DCC isn't going to pay for your bus or fund your bus operators fuel costs if no -one uses the service from 2017.
The big ones will survive of course by re-routing and also cutting back on previously council funded runs that are frankly unprofitable.
Many services will suffer I fear from small operators that may be incorporated or re - routed by the bigger players if the market demands.
Sounds like fun doesn't it

[Old Cruser]

Do you think it may impact on jobs in Stage Coach scimitar?