March to Mid-April Newsletter
Dear Resident,
I hope you enjoyed the Easter holidays!
It's been a very busy few weeks since I sent out my 'Budget 2024 Update' last month. I had two wonderful weeks back home for Easter recess, where Parliament rises and MPs return to the constituency, but now I'm back in Westminster with lots to be getting on with!
The biggest issue across our constituency continues to be potholes and the state of our roads. Derbyshire County Council are working hard to fill potholes and resurface roads across the county, but there's lots to do. I’ve already helped secure extra funding for our roads locally – with a further £176 million allocated for Derbyshire from HS2 savings. We are making progress with hundreds of potholes being filled throughout the area and some of our worst roads also being resurfaced. I know there's more work to be done, so I'll continue to try and get out and about across the constituency as much as I can, helping to get our roads back into shape.
Over recent weeks we've also had some really positive economic news;
- Inflation continues to fall.
- The National Living Wage increased by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour.
- 15 hours of free childcare a week became available to parents of 2 year olds.
- National Insurance saw a further 2p cut - taking it from 12% last year to 8%. Saving workers on the average salary £900 a year.
- And the State Pension increased by 8.5% - totalling £900 a year. This means the State Pension has increased by £3,700 since 2010 and over 30% since I was elected in 2019!
After a challenging period, its clear that our plan is working. More jobs, wages up, inflation down, and the economy is growing. This, alongside recent tax cuts, will mean more money in your pocket. It’s important we stick to the plan.
One other issue I received a lot of correspondence on was the increase in Council Tax bills. Whilst almost all of us saw our bills increase, I was, like many residents across Elmton and Creswell, shocked to see the 93% increase in their council’s Parish Precept. I have written to the Parish Council, but I am yet to receive a response.
Elmton with Creswell Parish Council are holding a Special Public Meeting on Wednesday 17th at 7pm at Creswell Events Centre, to discuss the 93% increase in the Parish Precept. I will be in Westminster, so am unable to attend, but a representative from my office will be in attendance. I will continue to keep residents updated.
Finally, the last few weeks have seen me welcome the Farming Minister, Sir Mark Spencer MP, to meet our local farmers, I’ve visited some wonderful schools, spoken to many residents on the doorsteps, and I’ve been getting my steps in while leafleting to update you on my work. I was delighted to present Mark North from the Freedom Project with an award - beating 650 other constituencies to be the best in the country! I welcomed Ros Horsley, Headteacher at Palterton Primary School, to Number 10 Downing Street. And Derbyshire received £14 million in additional funding for Special Educational Needs (SEN). I also was proud to attend the official opening of the new Bolsover dental practice. More on that + much much more below!
I hope you enjoy this edition of my e-newsletter and I look forward to updating you next month. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.
Best wishes,
Mark
Farming Minister Visits
I was pleased to welcome the Farming Minster, Sir Mark Spencer MP to Elliott's Farm in Calow. We had a good roundtable discussion with a number of our brilliant local farmers, and toured the farm. I was sad to see their shop in Bolsover Town Centre close in January so was pleased to visit their fantastic farm shop on site. Thank you to Andrew and Nicola Elliot for inviting us and hosting the roundtable.
Official Opening of the New Bolsover Dentist
I was delighted to join the team at Treeline Dental Care, the new dentists in Bolsover town centre, to officially open the practice. After months of hard work ensuring dental provision returned to Bolsover after the previous practice closed last year, it was great to finally meet the team who will be providing dental care to our communities.
Many residents have already been visiting the surgery and registering online. If you have already expressed your interest for being treated at the practice you don’t need to act you will receive an offer for an appointment in due course.
For now, the practice is prioritising children and treating those with urgent needs but it will expand into routine care at a later date. Once I have confirmation on when this will be, I will let you know.
You can contact the team on;
treelinedental.co.uk/new-patient-registration/
01246 690 500
I will continue doing all I can to further improve access to dentistry and better NHS services across our constituency.
Potholes
Our County Council has seen its road budget increase by 30% due to additional funding from the Government - with a further £176 million over the next ten-years from savings made by cancelling HS2. I'm working hard to get our roads back into shape and pushing for this funding to be delivered as quickly as possible.
I continue to report hundreds of potholes across the constituency and liaise with the Cabinet Member for Highways to get some of the worst ones fixed. Over the Easter recess I was out in Clowne, Holmewood, Shirebrook, South Normanton, Bolsover, and Whitwell to report the state of our roads directly to the County Council, but if you know about a pothole or a road that needs resurfacing in your area please do get in touch and I'll work with the County Council to get it sorted
Its also been great to see some road improvements across the constituency in recent weeks, including Hazelmere Road in Creswell (pictured), The Chine in South Normanton, Mansfield Road in Glapwell, and Victoria Road in Pinxton. We've also seen large and dangerous potholes on Boughton Lane in Clowne, Station Road in Whitwell, Elmton Road in Creswell, and outside Top Cat on Carter Lane in Shirebrook, plus many more, so thank you to Derbyshire County Council.
I know there's a lot more work to do, so I'll keeping reporting potholes and chasing up enquiries, as well as requesting some of our worst roads for resurfacing. Please remember to report all potholes directly to Derbyshire County Council by using the link below.
New £14million SEN Funding for Derbyshire
We have some fabulous SEN provision within Bolsover, and I continue to work closely with the fabulous Stubbin Wood school in Shirebrook, however more can, and should, be done for our children with additional needs.
I am too often contacted by parents who are finding it difficult to get the support they need for their child in their local school, and when I visit our local schools, and speak with our headteachers, provision and funding for young people with special educational needs is one of the main subjects raised.
Our local authority is required to provide services for children and young people with SEND but we know that it’s not always easy for that provision to be made locally and at the level required.
To help, the Department for Education announced today further investment £850 million into local authorities across the country to improve services. £14 million of this has been allocated to Derbyshire, who can use this money to create new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve existing buildings to make them more accessible and suitable for all.
This funding is part of a £2.6 billion package that has been committed to improve SEND services between 2022 and 2025, providing over 60,000 new places for children or young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. SEN schooling is a vital part of my plan to help the Bolsover constituency. I will continue to work hard to make sure the Government listens to what we have to say, and every child gets the start in life they truly deserve.
Stretton Handley Primary
Last month, I had the pleasure of visiting Stretton Handley Primary in Woolley Moor. I had a tour of the school from headteacher Mrs Nicholson and got to see some amazing artwork on display, as well as host a whole school assembly to talk about my job and what I do as an MP.
Afterwards I had a sit down with the year 5&6 class who asked me some very interesting questions about the most important law we've passed, whether I've made any laws, and my own experience in primary school. We also had a debate on why you should or shouldn’t be an MP and two children said they would like to do my job, so the Bolsover constituency may have a future MP from Woolley Moor!
Freedom Community Project Wins MP's Choice Constituency Champion of the Year
I was exceptionally proud this week to have been asked to present Mark North, CEO of Freedom Community Project, with the MP's Choice Constituency Champion of the Year award in Parliament.
All Members of Parliament had the opportunity to vote for the winner from nominations made by MP's across the country during UK Parliament Week.
I am absolutely over the moon that Mark's Freedom Project was selected as the overall winner. There are organisations and people on the ground across our constituency who do phenomenal work within our communities day in and day out. Mark North and the Freedom Project are at the forefront of this.
You can read more about the award by clicking the link below.
Tiny Tots Nursery, Blackwell
It was great to visit Tiny Tots Day Nursery in Blackwell at the beginning of March – it was such a welcoming and calming environment for young children. The team obviously love their work, resulting in a really positive environment for the children. The early years are so very important in children's education, helping them to reach their full potential later in life. Last year the nursery received a very well-deserved OUTSTANDING report from Ofsted!
Thank you to Lisa and her team for all of their hard work in helping children from Newton, Pinxton, Blackwell, Westhouses and the surrounding areas get the very best start in life.
Park House Primary, Lower Pilsley
In March, I visited Park House Primary School in Lower Pilsley. Education is one of my main passions and I'm always delighted to find a school with such considerate, engaged and enthusiastic children. It was a special non uniform day where the children took in some chocolate to add to their Easter raffle prizes.
The Headteacher, Mrs Kavanagh, showed me around and we had a good chat about some of the issues the school is facing, particularly with traffic and parking outside the school. I have made enquiries with Derbyshire County Council whether there is anything further can be put in place to help address the problems.
Many villages and schools across the Bolsover constituency were built before cars were quite so prevalent, and many of the schools I visit experience similar problems, particularly around drop off and pick up times. I understand it's not always possible to walk your child to school, but I do encourage it wherever possible.
Downing Street Headteachers Reception
A few weeks ago, I attended a reception at 10 Downing Street with Ros Horsley, Headteacher at Palterton Primary School, to celebrate local education champions. It was great to speak to Ros about her school’s outstanding educational record and discuss how I can continue to support schools across our district.
At the event, we had an opportunity to speak to teachers from across the country about their successes and listened to a speech from the Minister for Schools, Damien Hinds MP.
I have often received praise from parents about the work that Ros, and all of the fantastic staff at the school, do every day. It was great to have the opportunity to nominate Ros for the event and celebrate her work at the event.
Heath Primary School
A massive thank you to Mr Lynch for showing me around Heath Primary School a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed my tour of the school and seeing the new facilities, especially the massive hall, which I loved!
It was great to hear about the Embark Awards and efforts to encourage participation in the arts. The children are clearly very happy and engaging. The school is an absolute credit to the local community.
I look forward to visiting again later this year!
Safeguarding
I had a very positive meeting with the Minister for Safeguarding and The Safeguarding Alliance to discuss the Government’s plans to prevent registered sex offenders from changing their names.
As you may know, I have been working with The Safeguarding Alliance to push for a ban on sex offenders changing their names for almost two years. It was almost a year ago to the day that I introduced the Sexual Offences (Prohibition of Name Change) Bill to the House of Commons, and I have had dozens of meetings on this issue since.
The Government has confirmed the law will be changed as part of the upcoming Criminal Justice Bill. Now, we must ensure the systems are in place so it can be enforced in the strongest terms and without delay. Once I have confirmation of exactly how this new law will be enforced, I will ensure to share this.
I will continue my discussions with all stakeholders to ensure this Bill puts victims, and public safety, first.
Morton Primary School
It was great to answer some thoughtful questions from the year 5&6 class at Morton Primary Academy on Friday! I also held a debate on banning school uniform, as an example of what my job is like in Parliament.
During my visit I had a tour of the school facilities and listened to a wonderful story from Isaac.
It was great to hear about the schools efforts to engage with the local community since the academisation.
A massive thank you to Miss Jackson for taking the time to show me around her wonderful school!
Bolsover Flowers
It was lovely to pop in on Marie and her team at Bolsover Flowers to welcome them to the town centre from their previous much-loved shop at Hillstown. The shop looks absolutely fantastic and the team are very busy getting orders together. As supporters of SSAFA and the RAF benevolent fund, and the team having links with the Armed Forces, the location by the Centotaph carries a special meaning for them. I wish them the very best of luck in their new shop.
Dog & Spoon Distillery, Westhouses
I had a fascinating visit to the Dog & Spoon Distillery in Westhouses last week. A wonderful - award winning - small business right here in our constituency.
The business pride themselves on its sustainability and minimising waste, especially from water which is common with the distillation process.
As a gin drinker, it was very interesting to learn all about the process behind the end product!
Please check them out here: https://www.dogandspoondistillery.co.uk
Trident Aid
Earlier this month I met with a resident from Bolsover who runs Trident Aid, a charity which delivers humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine. Their next project is to deliver more medical aid to cities and villages, near the frontlines, to help the people who are left and most in need, including the elderly, disabled, and children.
It was great to meet a local resident in Bolsover, whilst out on Saturday, who is running an aid organisation to help support the people of Ukraine. I have received loads of emails about the war since Russia’s invasion and I’m incredibly proud of the Government’s military and humanitarian support.
If you would like to get in touch to help out please visit: https://tridentaid.org.uk/
Slava Ukraini!
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