At the elections on 6th May, and for the first time in twenty years, Killamarsh residents – finally – have a proper plan on offer to sort out all of the issues experienced by the Parish for so long.
In 2019, you voted for change in the village and elected new, Conservative District and Parish Councils to sort out the mess left by the Labour Party:
· A much loved, but failing Sports Centre that was losing in excess of £300,000 per year
· A poorly run Parish Council which was focused on trying to prop up the Sports Centre rather than serving its residents
· Every single household having to pay around £100 more than other areas to fund the losses from poor management that were racking up
· No plan or proposal about how to rescue these issues – or to stop the Sports Centre sliding into even deeper problems and, most likely, the need to eventually close it.
When the Conservatives were elected in 2019, we promised to tackle all of these deep-rooted and embedded problems. Even more problems were uncovered than were expected and it has been a long, and difficult, two years. Already, however, the Conservatives have taken action to stabilise the Council, to freeze the Parish’s share of Council Tax for the last two years and to work to find solutions.
Our Plan to fix Killamarsh Parish
And that’s exactly what we now are able to offer. Working together with the Conservative County and District Councils, we’ve all collectively come up with something that has never been done before – a real plan, agreed by everyone, to fix these problems.
On 6th May, you will have a chance to endorse this plan and make sure you have the right team in place to see it through:
· Saving the Sports Centre: by allowing the experts at North East Derbyshire District Council – who run three other leisure centres in the District – to take over the management from the Parish bringing trusted experience and securing its long-term future;
· Transforming the Centre with a new £1 million investment: We know that the Sports Centre needs an upgrade – and that’s why the District Council are going to put £1 million into the centre to create a new café, new gym and new facilities;
· A new Library: at the same time, we are also committed to co-locating a new Library within the Sports Centre so that it becomes a real community hub;
· Space for new youth provision: we know that the village still wants provision for young people – and there are groups who want to run new youth clubs. We’ve guaranteed that we will ensure there is space in the new Sports Centre community hub for youth provision;
· Getting the Parish Council finances back on track and, with these changes, we can finally get on top of the massive losses at the Parish Council and, in future years, try to start reducing the burden of Parish Council Tax.
This is the most exciting plan in a generation – and we want to work with you over the coming months to go through the detail and make sure we have got it right for the village.
Lee Rowley, MP for Killamarsh, also backs the Plan: “We know that Killamarsh has had issues for many years at Parish. I’m really pleased that the Conservative County, District and Parish Councils have come together for the first time in a generation to put together a plan to, finally, start fixing some of these problems.
You now have the decision about whether the Plan goes ahead or not. On 6th May, vote for the only Plan on the table which will sort out some of these problems which you have all told me about. Killamarsh has the most fantastic opportunity here and I hope you will give the Plan your support!”
Vote for the Plan on 6th May
First, however, if you like the plan, you need to vote for it. The upcoming elections will determine whether the Plan goes ahead and whether you have the right team in place to deliver it.
When this plan was first proposed earlier this year, the District Labour Group failed to support it and the LibDems voted against it. Right now, they are playing politics, with inaccurate and misleading statements in their leaflets.
When we stood for election in 2019, we told you we would work hard to fix the problems in the village. That is exactly what we have done and we now have what, we think, is a good plan that will finally transform Killamarsh Parish, cut the losses and give you a Sports Centre which the village can be even prouder of.
This Plan will only happen if you vote for it.
On 6th May, vote for the Plan to transform Killamarsh. Vote Conservative.
Residents in Killamarsh East will be voting six times in four elections:
· For Parish Council: vote Wendy Tinley and David Drabble
· For District Council: vote David Drabble
· For County Council: vote Mark Foster and Carolyn Renwick
· For Police & Crime Commissioner: vote Angelique Foster
Residents in Killamarsh West will be voting five times in four elections:
· For Parish Council: vote Alex Platts
· For District Council: vote Alex Platts
· For County Council: vote Mark Foster and Carolyn Renwick
· For Police & Crime Commissioner: vote Angelique Foster
