January

The devastating consequences of road accidents will be brought home to young people in a hard hitting play touring Derbyshire schools and colleges. 

Derbyshire County Council`s highway safety team has booked the Ape Theatre Company to visit ten schools and colleges next week to perform their Legal Weapon play for year 11 pupils aged 15 and 16. 

The play tackles issues of excessive speed, peer pressure and the attitudes of young drivers by telling the fictional story of a sixth form couple called Andy and Jazz. 

During the play Andy`s granddad dies leaving him a sizeable inheritance which he spends on a high performance car. Andy then has brushes with the law for speeding and the story tells the impact of this on his college work, exams and relationship. 

Nationally novice drivers form only ten per cent of all motorists but are involved in 25 per cent of all road collisions.

Councillor Eric Swain, cabinet member for public protection, said: "In Derbyshire there are on average eight injury accidents involving car drivers aged 16 to 19 and every year 400 car users in this age category are hurt. 

"Behind these figures are stories of tragedy for all those involved and their family and friends who have to deal with the consequences. 

"I hope this play, in conjunction with the other work being carried out by the highway safety team, will make young people think twice when they get in their car about the impact that careless or reckless driving can have." 

The Legal Weapon performance has been written to demonstrate that young drivers need to combine their newly acquired skills with a safe, responsible attitude to driving if they are not to put themselves or other road users at risk. 

Derbyshire County Council`s highway safety team will support the play with workshops and a range of resources offered to teachers to assist with the planning of lessons on road safety issues. 

The play will be performed at the following schools: 

Monday 3 February AM - Tibshelf School, High Street, Tibshelf. Heather Maurice-Smith 01773 872391. <li>

Monday 3 February PM - Meadows Community School, High Street, Old Whittington. Emma Bairstow 01246 450825.

Tuesday 4 February AM - Buxton School, College Road, Buxton. Joanne Walsh 01298 23122.

Tuesday 4 February PM: Chapel-en-le-Frith High School, Long Lane, Chapel-en-le-Frith. Zen Botowski 01298 813118.

Wednesday 5 February AM: Aldercar Language College, Dalton Close, Langley Mill. Val Broughton 01773 712477.

Wednesday 5 February PM: Frederick Gent School, Mansfield Road, South Normanton. Andrew Colllington 01773 811737.

Thursday 6 February AM: Belper School, Kilburn Road, Belper. Pete Clarke 01773 825281.

Thursday 6 February PM: Parkside Community School, Boythorpe Avenue, Chesterfield. Bernadette Elliot 01246 273458.

Friday 7 February AM: Deincourt Community School, Chesterfield Road, North Wingfield. Jackie Hayes 01246 851206.

Friday 7 February PM: Heritage School, Boughton Lane, Clowne. Barbara Whapplington 01246 810259.

Residents in Chapel-en-le-Frith are being asked for their views about a proposed second stage of a traffic calming scheme. 

Last year Derbyshire County Council installed flat top speed humps in Warmbrook Road and Rowton Grange Road, which have the dual aim of reducing traffic speeds and making it easier for pedestrians to cross the road. 

The authority now plans to introduce a second phase of traffic calming measures which would include flat top speed humps and speed cushions. 

The scheme is designed to improve Thornbrook Road, Elms Avenue, Grange Park Road, Rowton Grange Road, Alston Road, Horderns Road and Long Lane by reducing traffic speeds and making it safer for pedestrians, particularly pupils attending Chapel-en-le-Frith High School in Long Lane. 

Improvements will also be made to street lighting and kerbs will be lowered at several locations to enable pedestrian crossings to be installed. 

A plan of the proposals will go on display at Chapel Town Hall in Market Street from Monday 10 February to Friday 28 February. The building is open from 9am to 12.30pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and between 9am and 5pm on other weekdays. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "This scheme has been developed following concerns from residents in Chapel-en-le-Frith about the problem of cars travelling too fast in residential areas. 

"We believe this scheme will tackle those problems and make the area safe for pedestrians but we only want to introduce the measures if they have the support of local people." 

Members of the public can give their opinions on the proposals by writing to Stan Brewster, Senior Project Engineer, Environmental Services, Derbyshire County Council, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG by Friday 28 February.

Rural bus services today (Thursday 30 January) received a major boost after Derbyshire County Council was awarded a £1.2 million Government grant. 

The authority will get:

• £954,000 to improve the Trans Peak bus service, which runs along the A6 through Derbyshire and
• £320,960 to improve community transport services for people living in Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Castleton, Whaley Bridge and New Mills. 

The money has come from the Department of Transport`s Rural Bus Challenge, which aims to improve public transport in rural areas. 

Councillor Eric Swain, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection, said: "This is excellent news for bus users across the whole of Derbyshire and will help us achieve our aim of increasing the number of people using public transport. 

"As a largely rural county Derbyshire has a lot of communities where residents count on buses as a vital lifeline enabling them to get to work, go shopping and use leisure facilities." 

The £954,000 grant will be used to develop the Derbyshire Integrated Rural Transport Scheme, which aims to cut journey times for passengers in Belper, Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton who use the Trans Peak bus. 

Four extra buses will be laid on to upgrade the existing Trans Peak service so it runs every hour, instead of every two hours. Feeder services from surrounding villages will be timed so that passengers can go straight from one bus to another, reducing waiting times. 

Passengers will also be able to buy integrated tickets that cover both journeys. 

The other grant will be used to buy a 16-seater community transport minibus for the Buxton area, pay running costs and to employ a driver. If the scheme proves a success a second vehicle will also be bought for the area. 

A support worker will be employed to promote the service to individuals and community groups throughout the area. 

At the moment the nearest community transport scheme to the Buxton area is based in Glossop.

The `missing link` in a 13-mile off-road cycling route is to be constructed along a canal path between Weston-on-Trent and Swarkestone. 

The work is being paid for using £40,000 from Derbyshire County Council`s local transport programme, £42,000 from British Waterways, £30,000 from the East Midlands Development Agency and a £30,000 landfill tax grant from ONYX. 

The project will see the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal being resurfaced so that it is suitable for use by both cyclists and walkers. This will enable it to become part of a 13-mile long cycling route, which runs from Derby to Worthington in Leicestershire. 

Currently cyclists using the section between Weston and Swarkestone have to ride on a road. The rest of the route is already off-road making it a safe place for cyclists to use. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "One of the key aims of providing cycling routes is to offer a safe and pollution free environment which riders can enjoy.

"It hasn`t been ideal to have part of a cycle route using the local roads network. This new off-road route alongside the canal will be wide enough for cyclists to use safely and there will be safety barriers at narrow points to stop anyone riding too close to the bank of the canal. 

"By working together with our partner organisations we will help regenerate the area and encourage more visitors to the Trent and Mersey Canal." 

Work to construct the cycle path will be carried out by British Waterways next month and be completed by early May. 

Once constructed the route will be managed by British Waterways.

Do you struggle to keep up with all the latest sounds or want to broaden your musical tastes but don`t know where to start? If the answer to this question is yes then Derbyshire County Council may have the answer. 

You name it - anything from rock, pop and reggae to folk and classical - we`ve got it and you can borrow it from Chesterfield, Staveley and Newbold libraries. 

Staff at all three branches are aiming to encourage a wider age range of users to borrow from their CD collection which has hundreds of titles in stock. 

They are concerned that teenage library members and older and retired users are missing out because they don`t realise the service is on offer. 

To make sure the collection caters for younger users a group of eight 12 to 15-year-old local volunteers now meet at the library once a month to choose 30 new titles for stock. 

Older library users are being asked to suggest their favourite titles by filling in a form called Know Any Good CDs? which is available in all three libraries. Members of local choirs and orchestras are also being asked their views.

County council cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "We have a wealth of CDs on offer at Chesterfield, Staveley and Newbold libraries and want to make sure as many as possible of our users benefit from them. 

"The service is so easy to use and we try to cater for all musical tastes so no-one has to feel that the service is not for them." Any library member can borrow a CD if they are aged 12 or over. Borrowing charges are 80p per week and 50p concessions.

An exhibition celebrating the life and art of Manchester-born artist Harry Ousey will be opened by the Duke of Devonshire this Saturday (1 February). 

Harry Ousey - A Retrospective will be on show at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery until 29 March. 

Harry was born and grew up in Manchester and spent much of his early life enjoying visiting the Derbyshire hills and moors. 

He took up art in the 1930s and later worked in London, Cornwall and Provence. His early work was destroyed during the Second World War so the exhibition will feature the abstract watercolours, oils and collages he produced in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Harry died in France in 1985, ten years after emigrating there with his wife Susie. 

The exhibition will be formally opened by the Duke of Devonshire at 2pm on Saturday 1 February. 

Anyone wanting to know more about Harry and his art can talk to his niece Sue Astles, who will be at the Derbyshire County Council-run museum on Saturday 8 February between 2pm and 4pm and Saturday 1 March between 11am and 1pm. 

Entry to all exhibitions at the museum and art gallery in Terrace Road is free as part of Derbyshire County Council`s commitment to increase public access to the arts. 

Visitors to the gallery can also see Exposed to Comment, an exhibition of photography by students from High Peak College, which runs until 8 March. Also on show is Final Choice, an exhibition of artwork from the museum`s permanent collection, selected by museum attendant David Butler just before his retirement. 

Information about all the exhibitions is available by ringing Ros Westwood or Sue Palmer at the museum and art gallery on 01298 24658 or by emailing buxton.museum@derbyshire.gov.uk

Derbyshire County Council has pledged to help in the race to find a new sub-postmaster to stop the closure of a post office. 

The sub-postmaster of the New Bolsover Post Office has resigned and unless a suitable replacement can be found the branch will close on Thursday 6 February. 

The Post Office is urgently looking for a replacement who can take over as soon as possible. 

The county council, which has spearheaded a drive to safeguard the local post office network, is offering its support in the search and is hoping to arrange a meeting with Post Office officials to discuss the situation. 

Councillor Geoff Carlile, the council`s cabinet member for regeneration, is urging anyone who can help to come forward. 

He said: "Post offices provide a vital lifeline for people, particularly the elderly and those without access to transport. The post office is an integral part of a village or town and the county council will do anything in its power to ensure that this facility continues in New Bolsover." 

A campaign to support and promote the county`s post office network was launched by the council following concern about the decline in the service. 

Through the campaign communities are reminded that the way in which post office services are provided can be flexible and they don`t just offer the traditional service. 

The council also works to promote vacancies by encouraging people to come forward to run the service, perhaps from an existing shop or other business. 

The county council recently backed calls to save offices in Greenwich, Ripley, Alfreton and Marlpool.

Derbyshire consumers are being warned by the county council`s trading standards to think carefully before combining their Christmas and New Year debts into a single large loan. 

Now that the recent festivities are out of the way, bills for excessive spending are popping through letter boxes and people may be tempted by the widely-advertised `consolidation loans` which promise to `lower your monthly outgoings`. They enable consumers to re-finance all of their debts by combining them into a single loan, making it easier to manage their finances. 

However, trading standards warn that there are many pitfalls with consolidated loans and if the consumer cannot meet the payments they may end up losing their home. 

The concern comes on the back of Bank of England fears that low-income householders are in danger of over-stretching themselves, with a big national increase in lending over the past two years. 

Derbyshire trading standards point out the following problems with consolidation loans: 

• The rates of interest charged are often higher than for normal `high street` loans.
• The reason they appear affordable is that they are spread over a longer period - 10 years or more - so the interest can end up being more than the original debt.
• They have variable rates of interest that could rise during the loan period. Even though interest rates are currently very low, if they rise the person could be locked into a high rate for many years.
• Consolidated loans may be secured on the person`s home, so it could be repossessed if they don`t keep up the payments. This would not happen with individual loans of smaller amounts.
• The loans are often linked to payment protection insurance. Lenders often `hard sell` the cover which could add as much as 20% to the loan.
• Lenders may tempt borrowers into taking out an even larger loan, further increasing the person`s debt at a time they are trying to control their spending. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for public protection Councillor Eric Swain said: "The market for consolidation loans is growing and they are increasingly advertised. 

"The only way they can `lower your monthly outgoings` is to spread the loan over 10 years or more, which means the person ends up paying much more interest. Also, the person may be tempted to get even further into debt by thinking they can afford to borrow even more. 

"We aren`t telling people to avoid consolidation loans, just to seek advice first because there may be a better way to manage the debt."

Education inspectors have praised New Mills Primary School for a remarkable improvement in standards over the past 18 months. 

The school had been placed in Special Measures in May 2001 after the inspectors voiced concerns about the quality of education. 

Following that inspection the school worked closely with Derbyshire County Council`s education department and developed an action plan to improve standards in teaching and learning. 

Since then the school`s fortunes have been transformed under the leadership of new headteacher Judi Morris. 

The Government inspectors visited the school again last year and their report has just been published. 

It concludes that standards have improved so much that the school can now leave Special Measures. Areas highlighted in the report for praise include: 

• Pupils` test results have improved in the key areas of maths and English and in nearly all cases are well above the national average.
• Children make rapid progress when they join the school, and by the time they leave standards of maths and English are high.
• Pupil behaviour is good. Their attitudes to learning are positive and they have good relationships with their teachers and classmates.
• The quality of teaching is good.
• Effective assessment procedures have been introduced and the school identifies and addresses target areas for improvement.
• The headteacher and deputy provide very good leadership. The staff work as a team and their individual contributions are valued.
• The governing body has a very positive impact and it takes an active role in the strategic development of the school. 

In addition, Derbyshire County Council`s education department was praised for supporting the school and helping to address the weaknesses that were highlighted when the school was placed in Special Measures. 

The report did identify some areas for action, and the school is addressing these. They are: 

• Further improving the quality of pupils` writing in Key Stages 1 and 2.
• Raising standards in ICT, building on the good progress that has resulted from improvements in resources and teaching.
• Refining lesson planning in English and maths. 

Leaving Special Measures has been the icing on what has been a year of success for the school. A national Basic Skills award was presented last summer in recognition of the work to improve standards in literacy and numeracy, and pupils` test results were among the best in Derbyshire, with only one other High Peak school registering higher scores. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "The school has registered a tremendous improvement in standards and it is down to the leadership of Judi Morris and the dedication and hard work of staff, along with the support of governors, parents and the county council`s education department. 

"On average schools spend around two years in Special Measures, and it is truly an achievement to turn things around as quickly as New Mills has. The local community can be justly proud and I am sure that standards will continue to rise." 

Headteacher Judi Morris said: "I`m delighted that the Government has confirmed we can leave special measures. Staff, governors and pupils have worked tremendously hard and I would like to thank them all for their hard work and dedication." 

Chair of governors Lynn Woodward said: "Everyone connected with the school has pulled together and the desire to build on our progress has never been better."

Derbyshire secondary school pupils will be allowed out of the classroom to take part in more vocational and work-based learning under a groundbreaking agreement between Derbyshire County Council and the Government. 

The county is one of 25 areas around the country to be selected for a `pathfinder` pilot scheme to drive up standards and provide more learning opportunities for 14 to 19 year-olds. 

As well as following the traditional path of GCSEs and A levels, the pilot scheme could see more youngsters spending part of their week out of the classroom, studying NVQs and vocational GCSEs in college or taking part in extended work placements with training providers and employers. 

Three consortiums have been set up to co-ordinate the pilot - North Eastern Derbyshire (Bolsover, Chesterfield and N E Derbyshire), High Peak & Derbyshire Dales and South & South East Derbyshire (Amber Valley, Erewash and South Derbyshire). 

The consortiums are made up of the county council, headteachers and representatives from colleges, universities, the Derbyshire Learning and Skills Council, Derbyshire Connexions, training providers and the youth service. The consortium is also working with the Derbyshire Learning Partnership. 

The pilot scheme will open up new opportunities for students and encourage them to think about their future at a much younger age. Personal advisers and teachers will sit down with youngsters when they reach 14 to agree the best learning pathway for them as an individual. 

Although young people will continue to follow the basic curriculum, some will better achieve their learning potential by spending time away from classroom-based studies. 

For example, NVQs and Applied GCSEs - more vocational than the traditional study-based GCSEs - would open up opportunities to build skills in areas such as manufacturing, engineering, health and social care and leisure and tourism. 

In addition, pupils would be able to explore wider options for post-16 education, including modern apprenticeships. 

The pathfinder scheme will last for three years, with funding from the Government. For the first year the county will receive £500,000. 

As well as giving the young people a greater say in their learning, the pathfinder will enable local education and training providers to work more closely together to share their resources, expertise and good practice. Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "We are delighted to be selected for the pathfinder and I believe we were chosen because the Government recognises the excellent standard of education provision in Derbyshire. 

"Many young people don`t start thinking about further and higher education and employment until they are approaching their GCSE exams, and the risk is that they rush things and make the wrong choices. 

"The pathfinder will give young people a direct role in mapping out their own education and it will encourage them to think about their future options at a younger age. 

"A further benefit of the pathfinder is that it pulls together all educational providers throughout the county, which is an excellent way to share experience and best practice."

Education chief Alan Wells is due in Derbyshire next week to reward schools for their hard work in improving children`s reading and writing skills. 

Alan Wells OBE is the director of the national Basic Skills Agency; an independent organisation set up by the Government to raise the standards of literacy and numeracy in schools. 

On Friday, January 31, he will be visiting four Derbyshire primary schools to present them with their Quality Mark awards. 

To achieve the accolade, schools must demonstrate they have plans in place and use the right teaching methods to raise literacy and numeracy standards among pupils. They must also meet 10 strict criteria. 

So far, 122 primary schools, nine secondary schools and three special schools in Derbyshire, including two pupil referral units, have achieved the award by meeting the Agency`s tough standards. 

Derbyshire County Council is the first local education authority in the country to have successfully helped pupil referral units achieve the quality mark. 

Councillor Alan Charles, the authority`s cabinet member for education, said: "These Quality Mark awards are not easy to achieve and I would like to congratulate all the schools involved on their success. 

"The awards are down to the hard work of teachers, pupils, governors and support staff and I am proud that so many of our schools are putting in the work to improve standards. 

"It is vital that our children get the best start in life, and these awards show Derbyshire schools are committed to the highest quality teaching." 

Mr Wells will present the Quality Mark awards to the following schools on Friday, January 31: 

• Castle View Primary, School Road, Matlock - 9.45am 
• Holy Trinity Primary CE Primary, Clifton Road, Matlock Bath - 11am 
• Heage Primary School, School Lane, Heage - 1pm 
• Kilburn Junior School, The Flat, Kilburn - 2.30pm

Consumers can get help and advice from the experts when Derbyshire County Council`s mobile advice and information unit goes on the road in February. 

The unit, which is operated by the county council`s trading standards service, will be stopping off at 20 venues during the month, giving shoppers and traders easy access to consumer advice. 

Whether it is information on booking holidays, buying goods and services, consumer credit, shopping over the Internet, marketing scams or consumers` rights, trained staff can help. 

The unit features a confidential interview room and an Internet link to trading standards` offices in Matlock. 

During February, the unit will be visiting the following areas between 10am and 3.30pm: 

• Saturday, 1st - Shirebrook Market Place  
• Monday, 3rd - Chesterfield Market Place 
• Tuesday, 4th - Alfreton pedestrian area 
• Thursday, 6th - Dronfield Civic Centre car park 
• Friday, 7th - Glossop Norfolk Square 
• Saturday, 8th - Heanor Market Place 
• Monday, 10th - Swadlincote pedestrian area 
• Wednesday, 12th - Bolsover pedestrian area 
• Thursday, 13th - Long Eaton pedestrian area 
• Friday, 14th - Shirebrook Market Place 
• Saturday, 15th - Rowsley Peak Village 
• Monday, 17th - Staveley  Morrisons 
• Tuesday, 18th - Melbourne High Street 
• Thursday, 20th - Bakewell Water Street 
• Friday, 21st - Ripley Market Place 
• Saturday, 22nd - Buxton Spring Gardens 
• Monday, 24th - Ilkeston Market Place 
• Wednesday, 26th - Killamarsh Parkside Shopping Centre 
• Thursday, 27th - Ashbourne Medical Centre 
• Friday, 28th - Belper Somerfield car park 

People who can`t get along to the unit but would like advice about consumer issues can telephone Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards` hotline on 01629 585858. 

County council cabinet member for public protection Councillor Eric Swain said: "The mobile service has proved very successful since it was launched. 

"Some people don`t like using the phone and so by visiting the unit they will be able to talk to an advisor face to face. 

"Anyone with any concerns or queries about consumer issues is invited to pop along to see us."

A community farm and education centre being created on derelict land in Shirebrook with support from Derbyshire County Council will be open to the public by the spring. 

Work has started on Willow Tree Family Farm, on land behind the authority`s Shirebrook Adult Education Centre, after planning permission was granted by Bolsover District Council. 

The farm, which will include a café, shop and classrooms, will be home to a range of animals including goats, pigs, sheep and birds of prey. 

It will be open to members of the public but also hopes to encourage visits by schools, pensioners` groups and youngsters with learning difficulties. 

There will also be regular demonstrations of activities like sheep shearing and shoeing horses while educational classes will focus on subjects such as animal care. 

The farm will be run by a group of volunteers, who are being supported by the county council`s community economic development team covering Shirebrook, Creswell and Langwith. 

Funding of £161,000 has been secured from the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) to pay for the cost of reclaiming the derelict land. 

A further £40,000 has been secured from EMDA with £40,000 from Waste Recycling Environmental, a trust which distributes cash to environmental projects. 

Contractors have already moved on to the cleared site to lay water and electricity cables and building work is set to get under way. 

Councillor Geoff Carlile, the county council`s cabinet member for regeneration, said: "We are delighted that this very worthwhile project is finally under way and will be open in a matter of weeks. 

"Willow Tree Farm will not only be a lovely place for people to visit, it will also be an educational centre where people of all ages can come to learn about animals, the countryside and the environment. 

"I would like to congratulate all the volunteers who, together with the county council`s community economic development team, have worked extremely hard to get this project off the ground. I am sure it will be successful." 

The farm, which is a registered charity, will be run and managed by volunteers with all profits being ploughed back in to the venture.

New secondary school league tables - published today for the first time by the Government - highlight the continuing progress being made by Derbyshire pupils. 

As in previous years the tables list the GCSE results for each secondary school, and Derbyshire`s results have continued the upward trend and are again well above the national average. More youngsters are achieving higher grades and fewer are leaving school with no passes. 

However, for the first time the tables give a more rounded picture of pupil and school performance by including additional `value added` information. Rather than just using the GCSE results as an indicator of achievement, the tables show how pupils` attainment has progressed during their time at the school. 

For example, less academically gifted youngsters may not achieve high exam results but could still have made excellent progress with the support of their teachers. Relying solely on GCSE results would not acknowledge this hard work, but the value added tables do so by showing pupils` progress between the ages of 11 and 16. 

A breakdown of the tables is included under `Notes to News Editors`. 

Responding to the GCSE results, Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "Derbyshire`s GCSE results are again above the national average, continuing the strong progress made over recent years. Many schools have notched up significant gains - including Parkside Community School, Anthony Gell, Kirk Hallam Technology College, St John Houghton RC and Wilsthorpe School. 

"The county`s results offer proof of the excellent partnerships forged between the LEA and local schools, and the tremendous amount of hard work put in by pupils, heads, teachers, support staff, non-teaching assistants, governors and parents. 

"However, although we`re pleased that Derbyshire has shown such a marked improvement over recent years we aren`t complacent and we`ll carry on working closely with the Government and schools so we continue to make progress." 

Councillor Charles also welcomed the inclusion of value added information in the tables this year. He said: "In previous years we have urged parents not to look at the GCSE tables in isolation because they fail to provide other valuable information about a school`s effectiveness in helping youngsters reach their full potential. 

"The inclusion of the value added element this year is a step in the right direction because it gives a more rounded picture of how schools have helped children to progress and achieve their academic potential."

The eight organisations interested in becoming a partner with Derbyshire County Council to secure the long-term future of the Elvaston Castle estate have been announced today. 

They are: 

• Chek Whyte, Bunny, Nottinghamshire,
• The Promised Seed Project, Market Harborough, Leicestershire
• Highgate Sanctuary Ltd, London
• Elvaston Castle Estate Trust, Lichfield, Staffordshire
• Stancliffe School (UK) Ltd, London
• Don Amott Caravans Ltd, Hilton, Derbyshire
• Trevor Osborne Property Group Ltd, London
• Roxdan Developments Ltd, Ockbrook, Derby 

Members of the Elvaston Castle working party will meet at 2.30pm on Thursday 30 January at County Hall in Smedley Street, Matlock, to look at all the expressions of interest in detail. 

The submissions will be assessed to ensure that the organisations concerned have: 

• The economic and financial backing needed for a project of this scale
• The technical ability to deliver what they are proposing
• Relevant experience in restoration projects
• The ability to meet European Union directives that cover issues like bankruptcy, misconduct and payment of taxes. 

The first part of the meeting will be open to the public. During this section the interested parties will be announced and a progress report given about other work happening on the Elvaston estate, including details of Heritage Lottery Fund bids. 

Members of the public will be excluded from the second part of the meeting because the bids contain confidential and commercial information. 

Councillors in the working group will produce a shortlist of up to six organisations to go forward to the next stage. 

These groups will be sent more detailed bid documents in February and will then need to submit their final bids and offers for a leasehold of the estate by early July. 

Councillor Bob Janes, cabinet member for community services, said: "We are hopeful that among these eight bidders we will be able to find an organisation that is able to deliver a workable project to restore the castle and bring it back into everyday use. 

"We will ensure that the public are kept informed about developments as the bidding process progresses and are also aware of the hard work which is taking place to improve and restore other parts of the estate."

Coming soon to a venue near you - a new season of professional shows in community venues across Derbyshire. 

Derbyshire County Council is backing Live and Local - a scheme which gives residents the chance to see music, dance, drama, live literature and other arts at a venue near home. 

Since it was launched last September local people have enjoyed more than 100 shows in venues such as community centres, schools, churches and village halls. And for the new season which runs between now and May there will be something more to suit all tastes. 

Live and Local aims to: 

• Improve access to arts for all Derbyshire people. 
• Celebrate cultural diversity. 
• Foster new audiences. 
• Promote the work of local performers. 
• Contribute to economic development, tourism and leisure opportunities. 

County council cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "Since Live and Local launched last year Derbyshire residents have enjoyed more than 100 professional shows in neighbourhood venues with many sell-out performances. 

"It was a huge success and I think a lot of people who would never have considered this kind of entertainment was for them found it was - and even better it was happening on their own doorstep. 

"We hope once again the scheme encourages people of all ages and their families who may never go to a theatre, a musical performance or a concert to get involved in the arts by making it as easy as possible for them to go along in their own community." 

Among the artists featuring this season are the New Perspective Theatre Company, Beverley Davison`s Classical Cabaret, tuba and euphonium quartet Tubalaté, the Heart of England Jazz Band, African dance and drum ensemble Brekete, the Oddbodies theatre group and the Lempen Puppet Company. 

Full programme details are included in a new Live and Local Around Derbyshire leaflet which is available through Derbyshire libraries and tourist information centres. For more details call county council arts officer Ann Wright on 01773 832497, e-mail ann.wright@derbyshire.gov.uk call Amanda Glanville at Live and Local on 01926 402173 or e-mail liveandlocal@dial.pipex.com

An important ceramics collection is to be displayed in five libraries after Derbyshire County Council was awarded a £50,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant. 

The authority`s 20th century studio pottery collection consists of 40 items that are currently on display at Nottingham Castle Museum alongside the Ballantyne Collection of 370 pots. 

The collection was acquired by the Derbyshire Museums` Service between the 1960s and 70s and includes work by internationally renowned artists Bernard Leach, Hans Coper and Lucy Rie. 

Derbyshire County Council agreed to loan the collection to Nottingham City Council because at the time it did not have suitable facilities to show off the pottery to the public. The agreement was made on the understanding that they would return to Derbyshire in touring exhibitions when possible. 

The authority has now received a £50,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant which will enable it to provide facilities in libraries to show the ceramics collection off to the Derbyshire public. 

The money will be used to commission a Derbyshire artist to design and make five museum quality cabinets using local materials. This will be used to display the ceramics from the Ballantyne collection at Alfreton, Bolsover, Glossop, Long Eaton and Swadlincote libraries. 

Councillor Bob Janes, cabinet member for community services, said: "Derbyshire is a county well known for its ceramics industry so this is an important opportunity to offer local people the opportunity to learn more about their heritage. 

"To support the touring exhibitions we plan to hold a series of workshops and participatory activities that are designed to enable visitors to find out more about the history and importance of the Ballantyne Collection. 

"We are extremely fortunate to have such an extraordinary collection of ceramics and can now reap the rewards of the long-term vision shown by museums` staff." 

The collection will spend six to eight weeks at every venue each year over a three-year period. In addition to the five libraries, it will also tour Buxton Museum and Art Gallery from its home at Nottingham Castle Museum. 

The collection will be divided up so that each tour has a different theme. Ideas for themes include the Leach family, tea pots and tea services, hand built pots, low fired pots and the Carnival of Animals, which will feature pots with animal designs. 

It is anticipated that the tours will begin in late 2003 or early 2004.

Are you planning a community event attracting crowds of people? If you are, Derbyshire`s emergency planning team is hosting an event organisers` safety seminar with lots of useful information to help you plan. 

The free seminar, organised by Derbyshire County Council, will take place at County Hall in Matlock following the success of one held last year. 

It will include presentations on the management of events, legal and licensing issues and risk assessment as well as a chance to talk to the speakers, emergency services and local authorities at an advice and information forum.

Derbyshire County Council deputy leader Councillor John Powell said: "The seminar we held in November was very well attended and visitors commented how useful they found the information, the practical common-sense safety tips and advice from the experts. 

"We hope this kind of service coupled with our successful safety guide will help ensure people across Derbyshire not only have a great time at their celebrations - but stay safe at them too." 

The guide - Derbyshire Guide for Event Organisers - has been produced by Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, district councils and emergency services to help event organisers consider all the issues involved in planning a safe event. 

It covers issues including licences and permission, insurance, first aid, stewarding and crowd control, serving food safely and fireworks and bonfires. The guide also includes contact numbers, useful publications and websites. 

The event organisers` seminar will take place at County Hall in Smedley Street, Matlock on Wednesday 12 March from noon to 6.30pm. There is no charge. 

Visitors who do not wish to attend the presentations can come along just for the advice and information forum which runs from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. Closing date for applications is Friday 21 February. 

To register for the seminar or for a copy of the guide call Samantha Sharp of Derbyshire`s emergency planning team on 01629 585394 or e-mail samantha.sharp@derbyshire.gov.uk

Three one-day conferences are being staged across Derbyshire for people who work with children aged three to five.

Up to 100 delegates have been invited to each of the events organised by the Derbyshire Early Years and Childcare Partnership. 

The events - being held on the theme of Knowledge and Understanding of the World - are open to childminders and people working in private and voluntary nurseries and playgroups. 

They are being held at The Chesterfield Hotel, Chesterfield, on 1 February, The Catalis Centre in Derby on 1 March and The Palace Hotel in Buxton on 29 March. 

In Chesterfield and Derby, the keynote speaker will be Penny Lancaster who works at one of the country`s foremost charities pioneering research in to children`s needs. 

The speaker in Buxton will be Jacqui Cousins, who has worked with children for many years and is an advocate for children`s rights. 

Workshops led by early years and childcare development officers will be held in the morning at each of the conferences, with a talk by Iain MacLeod Brudenell, from Derby University, in the afternoon. 

There will also be a chance to hear from people working in different childcare settings and share ideas with colleagues from around the county. 

The Derbyshire Early Years and Childcare Partnership was established in 1998 and is made up of organisations with an interest in childcare, including the county council, private and voluntary sector childcare providers and health providers. 

It aims to provide affordable, accessible high quality education and childcare for young people from birth up to 14 years, and up to 16 for those with additional needs.

An overhaul of special needs education in mainstream schools will inject more funding into schools and cut red tape, ensuring that children receive the support they need much sooner. 

Today`s Derbyshire County Council cabinet meeting agreed to phase in the new system in Derbyshire over the next three years. 

The county council`s decision to move ahead with the proposals follows extensive consultation with schools and other interested parties including parents, with 92% of respondents backing change. 

The changes surround the system of statementing, the process that is used to identify extra educational support for children with severe and complex needs who require greater levels of support. 

The council had become concerned that the system was too bureaucratic - it was never intended for children with more common and less complex needs such as general learning difficulties and behavioural problems, although many go through the process. 

The county council believes that statementing subjects these children, their schools and education workers to an unnecessary, protracted and expensive process that lasts at least six months and costs £2,500 per child. 

Under the main change - which will be introduced this year - primary pupils with less severe needs will receive support without having to go through the statementing process. 

Schools will now plan and arrange extra help for these pupils, six months earlier in most cases. The county council will be providing additional funding to schools for education care officers who will work in the classroom with the children. 

In future years the county council will also be reviewing the way mainstream schools receive their funding for special educational needs. 

It will also be encouraging schools to work in partnership with each other and with education psychologists, specialist teachers and therapists, to improve support within their area. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "These changes will cut bureaucracy, reduce delays and benefit everybody, most of all the pupils by getting help to them much earlier.

 "Although statementing will continue for children requiring very high levels of one-to-one support, it was never intended for children with less severe needs who can reach their educational potential in mainstream schools. 

"It delays their support and the red tape ties up the time of school staff and highly skilled education officers." 

"Under the new system these children will have their needs addressed much sooner and the county council will provide schools with additional resources," added Councillor Charles. 

"We undertook extensive consultation and we are delighted that there is overwhelming backing for our proposals."

A contest to find Derbyshire`s best young band could be the first step on the road to stardom for the county`s top musical talent. 

Budding musicians are urged to get creative if they want to enter the Derbyshire Young Band of the Year competition as all bands that take part must record an original song as part of their entry. 

The competition is held every year at the Donut Studios in Chesterfield, a joint project run by Derbyshire County Council`s youth service in partnership with a committee of local young people. 

And as well as giving entrants the chance to perform live, the contest rewards the winner with a free recording session at the studio in the Springbank Youth Centre and a number of gigs. 

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "This is a popular competition which attracts a lot of musical talent. 

"I hope young musicians across the county will help make it bigger and better than ever by getting their tapes in and showing us what they can do." 

Studio co-ordinator Brian Evans, who works for the county council`s youth service, said: "The event is now in its eighth year and provides a great opportunity for young bands to perform to a live audience. It is also a great advert for young musicians as every year a high standard of music is produced." 

To enter, all band members must live in Derbyshire and must be 19 or under by the final on Saturday, May 3. 

Bands must submit a demo tape of three songs that must include an original track. Entries should also include band details, contact name and number and a photograph. 

To apply, send the demo tape to: 

YBOY Competition 2003, Donut Studios, Springbank Youth Centre, Springbank Road, Chesterfield S40 1NL. The deadline for entries is Friday, April 4. 

Twelve bands will be chosen to take part in the heats at the Springbank Youth Centre. 

The heats take place Monday, April 28 and Tuesday, April 29 from which six bands will be selected for the final. 

For more information about the competition, contact Brian Evans at the Donut Studio on 01246 220636.

Ten organisations are to receive grants totalling £250,000 from a Derbyshire County Council-run fund to help finance environmental schemes. 

And applications are now being sought for the next round of the bidding process where another £250,000 will be on offer. 

All the communities receiving money from the Derbyshire Aggregates Levy Grants Scheme (DALGS) are in areas that have suffered from the impact of aggregates quarrying. 

The DALGS fund was set up by the Government last year to use some of the money raised by a new tax on quarried aggregates and crushed rock. The tax is designed to encourage the use of recycled materials. 

The projects receiving funding are: 

• Egginton Parish Institute - £38,915 towards roof repairs at Egginton Memorial Hall 
• Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters - £34,361 towards conservation and repair works to the regimental war memorial at Crich 
• National Stone Centre, Wirksworth - £31,614 to carry out a range of improvements to improve public access and interpretation. 
• Whitwell Parish Council - £25,568 to replace dilapidated play equipment at the Bakestone Moor Recreation Ground and £4,500 to carry out improvements to a local footpath. 
• The Arkwright Society - £42,564 towards restoration of the water wheel at Slinter Bobbin Mill in Cromford 
• Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association - £22,000 for the Train Ride to History project on the Wirksworth Mineral Railway Incline including refurbishment of the track and new platforms. 
• Derbyshire County Council - £21,800 for works on a section of the Pennine Bridleway at Perry Dale including the construction of two road crossings. 
• Weston on Trent Village Hall Committee - £19,437 for replacement of windows, flooring and electrical improvements in the village hall. 
• Church of the Holy Trinity, Stanton in the Peak - £5,000 towards replacement of the bells, new bell frame and automation of the clock. 
• Stanton in Peak Village Hall Management Committee - £4,235 for improvement to the village hall`s kitchen area. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "The grants that are being given out will help bring real benefits to communities that have had to suffer for years from the impact of sand, gravel or rock mining. 

"We are keen to receive fresh applications from community groups for the next bidding round so that we can distribute all the money given to us by the Government from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund." 

The Derbyshire Environmental Trust is administering the scheme on behalf of the county council. 

Landowners, schools, religious organisations, community groups and local councils are eligible to apply for second round funding to carry out conservation work and other improvements near to current or former quarry sites. 

Grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 are on offer, although smaller applications will also be considered. 

Applications are particularly welcome from Whitwell, Creswell, Wirksworth, Cromford, Buxton, Sterndale Moor, Harpur Hill, Dove Holes, Peak Dale, Mercaston, Muggington, the Trent Valley, Lower Derwent Valley, Stoney Middleton, Stanton in the Peak and the Hope Valley. 

To qualify applicants must be able to show that aggregate mining has had an environmental impact on their area and that their proposals will bring about sustainable environmental and community improvements. 

Full details of the types of grants on offer and an application form are available by clicking here or by emailing det@derbyshire.gov.uk or ringing 01629 585314. 

The deadline for completed application forms is 21 March.

Derbyshire County Council has pledged to help in the race to find alternative premises for a closure-hit post office. 

The existing office in Institute Lane, Alfreton, is due to close in the spring after Midlands Co-op decided not to renew its five-year franchise. 

Now the Post Office is urgently looking for a sub postmaster who can offer suitable premises to replace the service which will cease on April 20. 

The county council, which has spearheaded a drive to safeguard the local post office network, is offering its support in the search. 

Councillor Geoff Carlile, the authority`s cabinet member for regeneration, has met with local county councillor Paul Buckley and is arranging a meeting with Post Office officials to discuss the future of the service in Alfreton. 

"Post offices provide a vital lifeline for people, particularly the elderly and those without access to transport. The post office is an integral part of a town centre and the county council will do everything in its power to ensure that this facility is provided in Alfreton," said Councillor Carlile. 

"I think the best way forward may be to work in partnership with an existing business and I would appeal to anyone who can help to come forward." 

A campaign to support and promote the county`s post office network was launched by the authority following concern about the decline in the service. 

Through the campaign communities are reminded that the way in which post office services are provided can be flexible, rather than the traditional service. The authority also works to promote vacancies by encouraging local people to come forward to run the service, perhaps from an existing shop. 

The county council recently backed calls to save offices in Greenwich, Ripley, and Marlpool from closure and is seeking a meeting with the Post Office to discuss the future of both services.

A £10 million fund to help schools improve their buildings was announced today by Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education - almost £3 million more than last year. 

The news means that almost every Derbyshire community and controlled primary, secondary and special school will receive between £42.40 and £127.20 per pupil over the next 12 months. 

Schools will also receive a fixed amount of £11,300 per school, £2,300 more than in 2002. 

The cash has been allocated to Derbyshire under the Government`s New Deal for Schools formula capital funding scheme. The amount each school receives depends on the number of pupils, as follows: 

• Primary/nursery schools receive £42.40 per pupil, almost double last year`s amount of £23. 
• Secondary schools will receive £63.60 per pupil, up from £34.51 last year. 
• Schools will receive £127.20 for every pupil with a statement of special educational needs or in a pupil referral unit (PRU), again almost double last year`s contribution of £69.01. 

Each school is encouraged to come up with its own plans for the cash and may save it for up to three years. This enables schools to plan for the future, saving their funding for bigger projects. 

The emphasis is to address condition-related issues in schools, such as new windows, toilet improvements and roofing and drainage works. 

This is the fourth year of the New Deal for Schools formula capital funding scheme - last year Derbyshire schools received just over £7.25 million. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "Giving money to schools like this enables them to plan for the future and address their own priorities. 

"This scheme has been going for several years and I am already beginning to see the impact it is having on our schools. It is really beginning to improve the environment for pupils and staff. 

"This year`s amount has increased significantly and the good news for the future is that the Government has already indicated that it will continue its investment in schools and increase the funding again next year."

Over the past 13 years David Butler has hung up hundreds of pictures by professional and amateur artists for major exhibitions at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. 

But in April the Derbyshire County Council museums` attendant will bang his final nail into the art gallery wall before leaving the authority to enjoy his retirement in France. 

To mark the occasion work colleagues have asked David to create an exhibition featuring his favourite pictures from the museum and art gallery`s collection. 

David`s `Final Choice` exhibition will open at the Derbyshire County Council-run venue in Terrace Road this Saturday (25 January) and run until 8 March. 

The exhibition includes many drawings, etchings and lithograph prints. 

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "David`s hard work behind the scenes is appreciated by staff and visitors alike so we thought it would be a good idea to let him produce his own exhibition and take the limelight for once. 

"It can`t have been an easy task picking his favourites because the county council`s fine art collection has more than 800 paintings and prints for David to choose from." 

David, 59, joined Derbyshire County Council after a career as an electrician and saw mill operator. Shortly after his 60th birthday he will emigrate to Sadillac in the Dordogne area of France. 

Visitors to the gallery can also see Exposed to Comment, an exhibition of photography by students of the University of Derby at Buxton, which is on show until 8 March. 

Entry to all exhibitions at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery is free as part of Derbyshire County Council`s commitment to increase public access to the arts. 

Information about all the exhibitions is available by ringing Ros Westwood or Sue Palmer at the museum and art gallery on 01298 24658.

A school cook will be dishing up a special meal at a village school to mark National Farmhouse Breakfast Week. 

Yvonne Grenier - a cook with Derbyshire County Council`s catering service - is better known for providing tasty school dinners to every child who goes to Mugginton CE Primary School, near Ashbourne. 

But on Thursday, January 23, she will be creating a cooked breakfast using nothing but the freshest local ingredients - including sausages made by one of the pupil`s granddads. 

The county council`s catering service is putting on the meal to mark National Farmhouse Breakfast Week (January 19-25). 

Among the eggs and bacon on the plates will be a fresh batch of traditional sausages made by Little Eaton butcher Barry Fitch whose grandson Henry is a pupil at the small village school. 

A big turnout is expected as every one of the school`s 46 pupils already enjoys a school lunch and many are looking forward to a nice cooked breakfast. 

Headteacher Geraldine Lowden says Yvonne`s good cooking is the reason why 100 per cent of the school`s pupils stay for dinner. 

"They all love Yvonne`s cooking," said the head. "I even heard one child ask their mum why she didn`t cook chicken like Mrs Grenier!" 

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education, is a firm believer in a good breakfast - especially for growing children. 

"Children work better if they`ve had breakfast," explained Coun Charles. 

"Research has shown that if you don`t eat breakfast, it can be harder to concentrate. 

"The county council`s catering service provides a good lunch for children but it is also important that children coming to school eat a good breakfast. I hope the children at Mugginton enjoy the novelty of having it at school." 

As well as providing the sausages for the breakfast, Mr Fitch is supplying home-made bacon and eggs at cost price. 

County catering staff are also preparing breakfast to mark National Farmhouse Breakfast Week on Tuesday, January 21 at All Saints CE Primary School, Youlgreave.

An historic agreement signed on Wednesday (15 January) by the Government and unions promises to ease the workload of Derbyshire teachers and bring millions of extra pounds into local schools. 

The agreement - which will lead to a reform of the teaching profession to reduce workloads - has been welcomed by Derbyshire County Council. 

As part of the deal the Government is releasing extra School Standards Grant (SSG) funding. The largest secondary schools in Derbyshire will see their SSG rise by almost 50% over the coming year. 

It will be up to schools to decide how they spend their funding, from books and equipment to additional teachers, teaching assistants and improvement schemes. 

The county council estimates that Derbyshire schools will share around £2.5m in extra SSG over the next 12 months with more to follow in future years. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for education Councillor Alan Charles said: "This agreement is excellent news and it will ensure that there is genuine growth in school budgets over the next year." 

The School Standards Grant represents one part of schools` annual income and the SSG increases for each school will depend on the number of pupils. Over the next 12 months the SSG of the smallest Derbyshire primaries will rise by an extra £1,800 to £9,000, whereas the SSG for the largest secondaries will rise by an extra £35,700 to £120,000. 

Central to the package of reforms agreed this week is a reduction of teacher workloads. The Government aims to achieve this through greater use of support staff, including personal administrative assistants for teachers, additional technical support and more supervisors. 

Councillor Charles added: "We welcome the positive moves being made to improve administrative support and reduce teacher workloads. Cutting the time teachers spend on administration can only have a positive impact on standards and the quality of education our children receive. 

"The reforms also promise to free up time for teachers away from the classroom so they don`t end up planning for lessons or marking work in their own time. For example, primary teachers will be able to spend 10% of their time away from the classroom for lesson planning and marking."

Hot drinks, food and a chat are on the menu for young people in Killamarsh at a new café run by Derbyshire County Council`s youth service. 

Café Aroma on the Parkside Shopping Precinct is run during the day by a management team from Killamarsh clinic. 

But every Tuesday night between 6pm and 8pm it is entirely turned over to the area`s young people who can drop in for some company and a chat as well as find out more about what the county council`s youth service and the local health trust can offer. 

The evening café is a joint project run by the county council in conjunction with the North Eastern Derbyshire Primary Care Trust and the North East Derbyshire Community Safety Partnership. 

It offers young people a place to go and although staffed by a local youth service worker, the young people are also having a big say in the way it is run. They are also working hard in the café to make sure it is a success. 

Councillor Bob Janes, cabinet member for community services, was at the official launch on Tuesday. He said: "This is a fantastic project, I was really impressed. 

"It is vital Derbyshire County Council`s youth service offers young people things they are interested in and this was an idea that came from the young people themselves. 

"A survey showed that there isn`t a lot for people aged 13-19 in the area to do, and this was one idea that proved popular. 

"I hope young people use the café as a place to meet friends and enjoy themselves. There will also be information and advice if they need it, and a helping hand from all the partners involved." 

Although the café is currently open only one night a week as part of the pilot project, it is hoped that if it goes well more evenings will be added. 

County council youth worker Sylvia Jones said: "This is a one-stop shop where young people can go for information and advice on training, education, sexual health and housing benefits. In fact, anything that might interest them. 

"We also have good cheap healthy food available in a lovely setting." 

Killamarsh teenager Carly Woodhead, 17, tends to agree. She is the treasurer of the young people`s committee running the centre. She said: "This is a great place to be and it is nice to have new opportunities on our doorstep. 

"I hope lots of local young people will come in and see what it is like."

Library-goers will be able to see a model of Derbyshire`s new £1.2m sculpture claimed to be the world`s largest operational timepiece in Staveley this month. 

Derbyshire County Council was keen to secure a showing of the scale-model at the town`s library as it is the nearest branch to where the 40-metre-high solar pyramid is to be built beside the M1 at Poolsbrook. 

The model was displayed at the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London following its national unveiling last October and has since been on show at Chesterfield Library. It will remain at Staveley for at least two weeks from Monday (January 20). 

The solar-driven machine, designed by Derbyshire architect Richard Swain and artist Adam Walkden, will be twice the height of the Angel of the North in Gateshead - higher than eight double-decker buses. 

It will form the centrepiece of the newly-created country park and visitor centre on a former colliery site at Poolsbrook near Chesterfield and be visible to the occupants of thousands of passing cars an hour. 

County council cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "This will be a unique and unusual landmark for Derbyshire people to be proud of and we wanted to make sure local people got a sneak preview. 

"We also hope it brings lots of people into the library where they may also be interested in some of the many services we have on offer." 

Work on the sculpture, which is a giant sundial and also gives details of the earth`s rotation, has started and it is scheduled to be unveiled at Poolsbrook in June. 

Staveley Library, in Hall Lane, Staveley, is open from 9.30am to 7pm on Monday and Thursdays, from 9.30am to 5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays and 9.30am to 4pm on Saturdays. For more information call staff on 01246 472448.

Residents in Chesterfield`s Rother ward will get a 3D view of their neighbourhood at three community consultation events organised by Derbyshire County Council. 

Pupils at William Rhodes, Whitecotes and Rother primary schools helped to create large-scale models covering the areas of St Augustine`s, Boythorpe, Grangewood and Birdholme. 

Now the models will be used to encourage local people to have a greater say in improving their neighbourhood. 

The consultation events will be held on three Saturdays between 10.30am and 3pm at the following locations: 

• Trumpeters Inn, Grangewood, on 25 January 
• St Francis Community Hall, Boythorpe, on 1 February 
• The Hunloke Centre, St Augustine`s and Birdholme, on 8 February 

It is hoped the models of the areas - which are large enough for people to pick out their own homes - will provide a focus for discussion. 

Residents` ideas could range from creating more play areas, increasing street lighting to help them feel safer at night or installing traffic calming. 

At the events there will also be other activities such as a bouncy castle, balloon modelling and other attractions to entertain visitors. 

The county council`s Chesterfield Community Economic Development team is co-ordinating the events, called Planning for Real, which are supported by Chesterfield Borough Council and Rother and Holmebrook Community Forum. 

Councillor Geoff Carlile, the county council`s cabinet member for regeneration, said: "Rother ward has very few community facilities but with the help of local residents we hope to change that. 

"This consultation exercise is their chance to have a say about a whole range of services and facilities needed in the community. It is important that as many people as possible take part because the idea is to improve the area for everyone`s benefit." 

After the consultation events, local people will be invited back to public meetings when the best ideas will be prioritised to form the basis of an action plan to improve community facilities in the area. 

For more information about the events contact Peter Johnson on 01246 297967.

Meals on wheels users have given the thumbs up to the new service being offered by Derbyshire County Council. 

The new frozen service, delivered by private company Apetito, came into operation on 30 September 2002 and since then the council has started monitoring the reaction from the service`s 3,388 users. 

Of the 205 people interviewed so far a total of 96 per cent said they were always satisfied with the variety of meals to choose from and 94 per cent felt the meals always gave good value for money. 

The meals on wheels users were interviewed during December by staff from the county council`s Call Derbyshire call centre ringing their homes to ask their views. 

During January and February they will be trying to contact another 800 users to ask them what they think of the new service. 

The county council`s meals on wheels contract was formerly held by the WRVS (Women`s Royal Voluntary Service) but transferred to Apetito following a selection process including taste tests by a panel of meals on wheels users. 

The changes to the service were made following a Best Value review of the service in 2001 which recommended a move to a totally frozen meals service as well as more choice to be offered and improved efficiency. 

The county`s meals on wheels users can now choose from a selection of 42 meals instead of 15 and there is also a gourmet range available at a slightly higher cost. 

As well as the frozen service being more flexible for users who can heat them at their convenience, people who have not been assessed as needing meals on wheels can still buy into the service and order as many meals as they like. 

Before the service was introduced all users were assessed to see what level of help they needed from social services and everyone who needed training on how to heat up the meals received it. 

Social services are currently visiting people who have requested `safe and well` checks to assess their needs and see if they need a visiting service, a home help visit or a telephone call to make sure they are all right each day. 

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for health and social care Councillor Anne Western said: "The initial survey we have carried out has shown very positive results for the new meals on wheels service and we are extremely pleased. 

"We feel confident that the new service offers better quality, choice and improved nutritional value and the people we have asked certainly seem to agree." 

She added: "Over the next few weeks we shall be asking hundreds more meals on wheels users for their views and hope they will be as positive as the ones we have already received."

Young people across Derbyshire are getting the chance to experience the thrill of climbing as the latest piece of county council equipment takes to the road. 

Derbyshire County Council`s new six-metre mobile climbing wall is touring the county (see below for dates) to give young people the chance to try something exciting and challenging. 

Launched last year, the £25,000 concrete resin-coated wall can access all areas of Derbyshire and is available to schools, youth centres, sports clubs and community-based voluntary groups such as the Scouts and Guides. 

It will also be taken to special events including the Adventure Youth Games and summer sports programmes organised by the county council. 

The wall project, run by Derbyshire County Council`s youth service, is aimed at 11 to 19-year-olds who are also being encouraged to try other adventure sports offered by the authority. 

Used as part of the council`s community safety strategy, it is hoped that by giving young people the opportunity to try something new and engaging with them in their community, crime and the potential for crime will be reduced. 

"The project offers young people a tremendous opportunity to try something new and exciting," said Councillor Eric Swain, the county council`s cabinet member for public protection. 

"It is vital that we reach Derbyshire`s young people and offer them some interesting alternatives."

Councillor Bob Janes, cabinet member for community services, said: "Not everybody has the opportunity to get out into the countryside to try things like climbing. 

"I hope young people will take advantage of it." 

Organisations interested in getting the wall to their area can contact outdoor education worker Keith Towell on 01629 580000 ext 7963. 

All young people who use the wall must fill in a consent form, signed by their parent or guardian. 

The climbing wall will be in the following locations in the coming weeks: 

• Tuesday, January 21, 12pm-3pm - Lea Green Development and Conference Centre, near Matlock. 
• Thursday, January 23, 11am-2pm - Creswell Pupil Referral Unit, Markland Campus, Sheffield Road, Creswell. 
• Saturday, January 25, 11am-2pm - Parkside School, Sports 2000, Boythorpe Road, Chesterfield. 
• Saturday, February 8, 11am-2pm - Creswell Youth Club, Elmton Road, Creswell. 

The youth service is part of Derbyshire County Council`s education service and runs around 30 full-time and many more part-time youth clubs, specialist information centres and outreach projects throughout the county. 

The service is also involved in sexual health projects, the Duke of Edinburgh and Peak Awards schemes, counselling projects and outdoor education.

DAUGHTER FOLLOWS IN MUM`S FOSTERING FOOTSTEPS 

Pam and Richard Owen both come from large families - so having a few extra children running around seemed only natural. 

The couple, from Chesterfield, became foster carers 21 years ago after having three children of their own. 

They are multi-placement carers and are currently fostering four children ranging from eight to 17. Pam, 54, who is the eldest of six children, said: "We decided that we didn`t want any more children of our own but I had seen an advert on television about fostering. 

"I asked Richard what he thought and we went from there. Richard and I both came from big families so we were used to having lots of people around." 

The couple had an extension built on their house to accommodate their growing `family` and they have a mini bus for trips out. 

Pam said: "Being a foster carer is now accepted more as a professional job and there is a lot of job satisfaction - particularly when the children get settled with an adoptive family. 

"There is a lot of happiness and a lot of sadness but I think it is brilliant." 

Pam`s daughter Vicki was nine when her parents first began fostering and as she got older she began helping them out with the children in their care. 

Three years ago, Vicki, now 31, decided to follow in her mother`s footsteps after having to give up work after suffering serious back problems, which left her disabled and forced to use a wheelchair when she goes out. 

She is living at home with her parents and is currently caring for a 10-month-old baby boy, who she hopes to adopt, although she will continue to foster other children. 

Vicki, who is approved to offer short-term care to pre-adoptive babies, said: "I was nine when my parents first started adopting and we used to get excited whenever we got a phone call to say we were getting another placement. 

"As I got older I helped my mum but I had to keep getting permission from the county council. Then one day our family liaison worker joked that I should give fostering a go. From that joke I have never looked back." 

FOSTERING WAS LIFE-CHANGING DECISION FOR JULIA 

Former bank manager Julia made the life-changing decision to become a full-time foster carer four years ago following the death of her mother. 

The personal tragedy made her re-think the direction in which her life was heading and also left her in the fortunate position to buy a house without a mortgage so she could give up work. 

"I had previously seen adverts for foster carers when I lived in the Lake District and I thought I might like to apply but I was working full-time so it was impossible. 

"After my mother died I started to think about what I was doing with my life and I thought fostering was something I could explore," said Julia, 46, from North East Derbyshire. 

The mum-of-one, who is approved to look after children from birth up to the age of 18, is currently caring for a 16-year-old girl and two boys aged five and six. 

"I always include my daughter Rachael in my decision-making process. She was nearly ten when I started fostering and she was a lot older than the children I was fostering then. 

"But as she got older and more able to cope I decided that I could also look after older children," added Julia. 

She says the two girls get on very well and are able to help her look after the younger boys when they go out. 

"Fostering is very challenging and sometimes it can be very hard work but it is hugely satisfying. It is lovely to see them making positive steps, for instance moving to an adoptive home or back to live with their parents," said Julia. 

FOSTER CHILDREN `BECOME PART OF THE FAMILY` 

Kath and John Meghet, from Ripley, have been fostering for Derbyshire County Council for around 19 years. 

Kath, 50, a social worker for the authority based in Chesterfield, first responded to an advert in her local newspaper. 

The mother-of-two said: "I was told I was unable to have any more children. We thought about adoption but then agreed fostering was the best option." 

The couple are known as `fostering plus carers` - they provide homes for challenging older children on a long-term basis. 

Kath said: "We thought about giving a home to babies and young children but when we went for training they said we had a lot to offer teenagers. We have never really looked back." 

The couple are currently looking after a 15-year-old girl although they are due to take in two more children in the next couple of weeks. 

Over the years, they estimate they have looked after more than 30 young people. 

"It is a challenge because the young people come from different backgrounds. We don`t judge them and we are always open and honest with them," she said. 

Kath and John, 54, have kept in touch with most of the children they have looked after and consider them part of the family. John took early retirement to become a full-time carer. 

Kath added: "It is very rewarding and I discovered that I have very good counselling skills. It is about understanding and compromise to meet the young person`s needs." 

A CAREER IN SOCIAL WORK BECKONS FOR CHERYL 

University student Cheryl Hobson was 13 when she was taken in to care due to family problems. 

While the 21-year-old admits her early experiences of being in care were varied she was eventually placed with a family and stayed there for eight years. 

"I understand what it is like to be part of two families but belong to none. I have felt that isolation and loneliness," said Cheryl, from the Buxton area. 

"You are always waiting to be moved to the next place and you always carry that insecurity with you. It was important to me to have the stability of a long-term foster family. I still keep in touch with my foster mum." 

Cheryl, who took an HND in Care Practice, is currently studying for a three-year social work degree. She hopes to return to Derbyshire to work with the authority`s after care team, helping young care leavers make their own way in the world. 

She said: "I have been in care and I can empathise with young people in care. I want to become a social worker because of my own experience and I would like to work with teenagers." 

Cheryl says she would also like to become a foster carer as they provide a role model for young people who have not had the best start in life. 

"They can really make a difference to a young person`s life but nobody expects them to be God or take on the role of the natural parents. They can help to balance out the negativity the child has been exposed to. I`m sure being a foster parent must be a real achievement."

A campaign to recruit more foster carers to look after children in care has been launched by Derbyshire County Council. 

The year-long drive also hopes to take on people from across the county to offer respite, day, emergency or link care to children of all ages. 

Across Derbyshire, there are around 440 foster carers who currently look after 509 children under the council`s care. 

But there are up to 60 children awaiting placements who are living in children`s homes, sometimes outside Derbyshire, for long periods of time because foster homes cannot be found for them in the county. 

As part of the appeal for carers the authority`s social services department is launching a countywide advertising campaign to encourage people to think about offering a home to a youngster. 

Posters and pre-paid response cards have also been produced which will be put in libraries, doctors` surgeries, adult education centres and even local shops. 

The campaign coincides with a Government announcement that a grant of £113m is to be made available to county councils over the next three years to ensure children have access to foster placements. The extra cash can be applied for to strengthen or maintain existing services or to introduce and expand new ones. 

In Derbyshire, foster homes are needed for children from birth up to the age of 18, although traditionally social services have found that older children, especially boys, are harder to place with families for a number of reasons. 

They can often find it hard to adjust when they are first placed with foster carers and in some cases can rebel. They may be placed into children`s homes while they settle and may remain there for months or even years while a foster placement is sought for them. 

While full-time carers are always needed the authority is keen to stress that fostering can also be part-time as people can provide other types of care. 

This could include providing care for youngsters after school while their foster carers are at work, providing regular weekend care to give other carers a break or helping a foster carer to look after a disabled child by providing link care. 

Carers may also be asked to provide short-term emergency care for a child or young person at short notice. 

Councillor Anne Western, the county council`s cabinet member for health and social care, said: "Foster carers do an important job looking after some of our most vulnerable children who are unable to live at home for a number of reasons. 

"We are always keen to hear from people who feel they could offer the love and support these children - many who have been through very traumatic experiences - need and deserve. 

"While we are particularly keen to hear from people who can commit to becoming a full-time foster carer we would also like to recruit people who can offer part-time care for the young people looked after by the county council. 

"We recognise that it can be very challenging and mean a lot of hard work, but with patience and understanding being a foster carer can also be enormously rewarding as the child settles and thrives." 

Training is offered to people who come forward and there is a strong support system provided by the county council for people once they have been accepted as foster carers. Allowances, which have recently been increased by the authority, and travelling expenses are also paid. 

To find out more about becoming a foster carer call Derbyshire County Council`s Fostering Information Line on 01629 772211.

Are you good with children and young people? Do you enjoy a challenge? Then fostering could be right up your street. 

Derbyshire County Council currently has around 440 foster carers from all walks of life who look after children ranging from babies to teenagers up to 18. 

But more people are always needed by the authority to provide a loving home to youngsters who cannot live at home for a variety of reasons. 

Couples and single people can apply to become foster carers and they do not necessarily have to have children of their own. 

Foster carers can be aged from 21 to 60, be working or unemployed and come from all backgrounds and cultures. They must be committed and enthusiastic with a mature attitude and the energy to look after children. 

Youngsters who have not enjoyed stability during their lives may experience problems as they grow up but this tough exterior may hide feelings of insecurity, fear and confusion. 

Foster carers must be prepared to be "tested out" and be firm enough to negotiate rules and boundaries while remaining patient and calm. 

They need the determination to stick with things when they are not working out, a good sense of humour and a good listener. 

After expressing an interest in becoming a foster carer, the applicant will be allocated to a named social worker who will take them through the assessment process. 

Statutory references will be obtained from the police, probation service, the child protection register and place of employment, as well as personal references. 

The would-be foster carers will be asked to under go a medical with their own GP and the other members of their family, including children, will also be assessed. 

They are then invited to training sessions and will receive a second visit from a service manager before final approval is given at a fostering panel, which they can attend. 

The whole process can take up to six months although this may vary depending on the individual`s circumstances. 

Once they are approved, foster carers can expect continued support from the county council with an individual social worker allocated to each family. 

They receive regular visits and phone contact as well as on-going training with family placement teams and experienced foster carers. There is also the opportunity to enjoy social activities with other foster carers. 

They will also have access to other specialist support, such as education experts or psychologists, should the need arise. 

The county council will also provide a foster carer with a computer with internet access and is developing its own website for foster carers and foster children. 

Councillor Anne Western, the county council`s cabinet member for health and social care, said: "There is no set type of person who could become a foster carer. 

"They need different qualities and abilities, some of which can be developed through training and some that are part and parcel of their personality. 

"A foster carer will come in to contact with children from all walks of life who have been through different experiences. Fostering is a challenge, however, it also brings with it the satisfaction of seeing a child find his or her feet." 

For more information about becoming a foster carer ring the Fostering Information Line on 01629 772211.

Here are some examples of young people around the county who are waiting for foster care placements: Amber Valley Sam, aged 12, is an energetic, friendly lad with many interests. He is currently excluded from school and needs a family who can channel his energies in a constructive way and encourage and support him back to school. Brothers Jack, five, and Ryan, two, have been neglected by their mother, who is dependent on drugs and alcohol. They both need a lot of care, attention and stimulation to help them grow and develop to their potential. Amy, aged seven, has mild learning difficulties and is sometimes a handful at home. Her mother needs regular respite care - preferably at weekends or during the school holidays - to help her cope. Erewash Gregory, aged 12, has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy. He requires a lot of attention and can be a handful at home. His mother would like regular, monthly respite care to help her cope and enable her to have time to relax. Placements are also needed for two boys aged 14 and 10 and two girls aged 12 while a young mother and her baby are also waiting for a foster home. South Derbyshire and South Dales Long-term placements are needed for a 12 and 13-year-old brother and sister while a 15-year-old boy would like a three-year placement as he is planning to enter further education. Placements are also needed for youngsters aged over 11. Chesterfield Placements are needed for two 13-year-old girls who are currently living out of the county. Long-term foster homes are also needed for nine and 12-year-old boys and a 10 year old girl. High Peak and North Derbyshire Dales Around 10 places are currently needed for young people in care including a brother and sister aged 11 and 8, a 13-year-old boy who needs a long-term foster home and a 15-year-old girl estranged from her family and classed as homeless. North East Derbyshire and Bolsover A long-term placement is needed for a 12-year-old boy, who has had a difficult background, and who is currently living in a children`s home. Short-term respite placements are also needed for four boys aged between 12 and 14. Placements are also needed for sibling groups to prevent them being split up.

A scheme to provide hi-tech alarms for vulnerable Derbyshire Dales householders who have fallen victim to burglary or bogus callers, is the latest crime reduction initiative to benefit from a Derbyshire County Council community safety grant award. 

The £5,000 grant will enable the Safer Derbyshire Dales community safety partnership to expand the number of householders who can benefit from the monitored alarm system. 

The money will ensure that the hi-tech equipment can be installed in the homes of the most vulnerable Dales households to provide 24-hour protection. The equipment - which will include pendant speech alarms, infra-red intruder detectors and mobile phone-style systems - will be offered to the most vulnerable residents. The equipment is based on mobile phone technology, which means that it can operate without the need for telephone landlines or even electrical power. 

The Safer Derbyshire Dales partnership is one of eight district-based Derbyshire community safety partnerships, set up to focus on local crime reduction targets. 

The Dales partnership pulls together the resources and expertise of local organisations including Derbyshire Dales District Council, Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire Police, the probation service and the North Derbyshire Primary Care Trust. 

The funding brings the total awarded by the county council to Derbyshire-wide crime-busting initiatives over the past 12 months to around £140,000. 

During 2003 the county council has pledged to plough a further £160,000 into community safety schemes throughout Derbyshire. Councillor Eric Swain, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection, said: "It is vital that we support the work of the eight local community safety partnerships and I am delighted we have been able to support this important Dales project. 

"Our aim is to reduce crime and disorder in Derbyshire and we can do this by assisting the work of groups in local communities."

No bus fare - no kidding! It`s unbelievable but true - for one week all b_liners can go anywhere in Derbyshire by bus for free thanks to Derbyshire County and Derby City councils. 

And to make it easy for b_liners to make the most of this amazing bus bonanza the offer is running during half-term week. 

During "b_line freerider" bus week from midnight on Friday 14 February until midnight on Sunday 23 February all 11 to 18-year-old b_line cardholders can have unlimited bus journeys absolutely free. 

They can travel anywhere around Derbyshire for free between these dates and even over the border into places like Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester and Burton. 

All they need to do to qualify is show the bus driver your card, sit back and enjoy the free ride! 

Derbyshire County Council leader Councillor John Williams said: "The free travel week is a chance for us to give b_liners an extra treat during their half-term break. 

"We want to encourage them to make the best possible use of Derbyshire`s bus network which provide an excellent transport service across the county throughout the year. 

"Since we launched b_line two years ago it has provided youngsters with lots of benefits and we`re keen to make sure they continue to get the full benefit from their card." 

Derby City Council cabinet member for planning and prosperity Councillor Sara Bolton welcomed the initiative. 

"I hope Derby`s b_liners get out and about even more thanks to this week of fantastic free bus travel," she said. 

"Visit your mates, go to the cinema, take a ride into town or out into the country - whatever you do, you`ll get there for nothing during half-term. 

"I thoroughly welcome this initiative and urge everyone who can to make the most of their b_line card and to use our excellent bus services to explore our beautiful county."

A series of public exhibitions are to be held seeking views on ways in which transport can be improved in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site. 

A 15-mile stretch of the Derwent Valley between Matlock Bath and Derby was awarded World Heritage status in December 2001 to mark the importance of the area - which includes the site of Sir Richard Arkwright`s first mill at Cromford - as the birthplace of the modern factory system. 

The Derwent Valley Partnership, which is chaired by Derbyshire County Council and brings together local authorities, regeneration agencies and conservation bodies, decided to tackle local people`s existing concerns about transport issues and to ensure the area can cope if World Heritage Status brings extra tourists to the area. 

Consultants Scott Wilson and Kirkpatrick were appointed in October 2001 to carry out a transportation study and develop a strategy outlining how transport links and services can be improved. 

The consultants have come up with a range of ideas, which include: 

• Providing park and ride schemes and improving parking for residents 
• Setting up a heritage bus service linking tourist attraction sites 
• Improving road signs to tourist attractions 

A series of exhibitions are being held to show local people the ideas and get their views on them. They will be held between 10.30am and 7pm at: 

• Morrisons in Sir Frank Whittle Way, Derby - Tuesday 21 January 
• Safeway in Chapel Street, Belper - Wednesday 22 January 
• Somerfield in Bakewell Road, Matlock - Tuesday 28 January 

The consultants will be on hand to talk through the proposals with visitors. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "A lot of work is underway to attract more tourists to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. 

"We need to ensure that by attracting more people to the area we do not bring extra congestion to our roads. There are also existing issues which concern residents in the area. 

"The aim of the exhibitions is to get the views of local people about schemes which could be introduced to deal with these issues."

Four north eastern Derbyshire communities are to benefit from a £2.3M scheme to boost access to sports and arts facilities, after Derbyshire County Council gave the go-ahead for building works to get underway. 

Most of the funding has been awarded to the county council by the Government and National Lottery, and the schemes will be based at four primary schools: 

• Chesterfield - Mary Swanwick Primary 
• Renishaw Primary 
• Pinxton - Kirsktead Junior 
• Pilsley Primary 

The county council`s cabinet has just given the go-ahead for the works to start. This will involve building multi-purpose halls at each of the schools. As well as being used by pupils, the facilities will be used by the community for sports, arts, music and theatre activities. 

Each scheme will cost between £500,000 and £600,000. Construction will be on a rolling programme with work at the first site - Kirkstead - about to get underway. Work at Mary Swanwick is scheduled to start in March, followed by Pilsley Primary in April and Renishaw in May, with all of the facilities ready for use by the end of the year. 

Derbyshire was awarded the funding as part of the Government`s Space for Sports and the Arts programme. The programme aims to ensure deprived communities have better access to facilities for sports and the arts. 

Following consultation between the county council, the schools and the local communities, plans were drawn up for the new halls, which will be the size of two badminton courts and will include an office, changing rooms and storage space. 

Councillor Alan Charles, county council cabinet member for education, said: "This is an excellent initiative - we are delighted to have received so much funding and are pleased to be able to give the go-ahead for the works to begin.

"The four communities will now receive facilities to be proud of. By providing them at the schools we hope to encourage pupils to play sport and engage in the arts from an early age, which will have a positive effect on their health and well-being. 

"It will also provide much-needed facilities for the local community which until now had limited access to venues for sports and arts activities." 

The Space for Sport and the Arts programme is funded by the Government, the National Lottery`s New Opportunities Fund, Sport England and the Arts Council of England.

Work has started on a £355,000 scheme to upgrade an existing 8km Peak District trail to national standards so it can form part of the Pennine Bridleway. 

Derbyshire County Council is helping to construct the national bridleway for horse riders, cyclists and walkers, which will go from Derbyshire to Northumberland. 

To achieve this the surface of an existing trail, which runs from Valley Road at Hayfield to the A625 at Rushup Edge, near Castleton, is being improved to a higher national standard. 

The heavy rainfall of recent years has led to severe erosion of the route, with loose rocks covering the surface. This has made it impassable for horse riders. 

Most of the route is an existing bridleway but the remaining 3.5km section is an unclassified highway, which is popular with mountain bikers, trial bikers and four wheel drive enthusiasts. 

These groups have joined together with other users of the land, including horse riders, to help Derbyshire County Council design the route. 

The new design enables all groups to share the trail without disrupting the activities of others, while preserving the character of the area and increasing the user`s enjoyment. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "The route is in an environmentally sensitive area and passes through some of the Dark Peak`s finest countryside including Roych Clough, South Head, Mount Famine and Ashes Bank. 

"To protect the landscape and wildlife we are using a new environmentally friendly technique called merry crushing to create the bridleway surface. 

"It involves a machine crushing existing rocks on the trail to form the basis of the surface. By recycling existing materials we reduce the need to bring in stone to carry out the work." 

The project will take contractors Terra Firma Environmental five months to complete. The £355,000 cost is being paid for by Derbyshire County Council, the Countryside Agency, Sport England Lottery, the Local Transport Plan programme and a landfill tax grant from Waste Recycling Environmental.

Part of a former quarry site in Marehay is to be restored instead of being turned into a landfill site. 

In July last year Derbyshire County Council refused Derbyshire Waste permission to put 1.3 million cubic metres of household, industrial and non-commercial waste in the partly disused Waingroves Brickworks clay pit, off Derby Road, over a ten-year period. 

But under planning rules the company had the right to appeal against the decision. 

The time limit for the company to submit an appeal has now passed meaning that Derbyshire Waste`s interest in the site is over. 

Under earlier planning permission granted by Derbyshire County Council the landowners, J F Ashton, now have three months to submit plans saying how they will restore the site back to a countryside area. 

Councillor Joyce Sanders, chair of the regulatory planning and control committee, said: "There was very strong opposition from the local residents, MP and councillors to the Derbyshire Waste application to create a landfill site at Waingroves Quarry. 

"Because Derbyshire Waste has not lodged an appeal against the decision we can now pursue our aim of restoring the land which has already been quarried. This will improve the appearance of the area for local residents. 

"While quarrying on other parts of the site will continue for many years the restoration of some areas helps minimise the disruption brought to local residents."

An extra bus route is being provided by Derbyshire County Council to improve public transport in Ripley. 

The authority is paying Doyles Coaches to run a service linking Peasehill with both Market Place in Ripley town centre and Sainsbury`s on Nottingham Road. The route also serves Mill Hill. 

The new service 148 will run between 8.30am and 3.30pm from Monday to Saturday. It will begin operating on Monday 3 February, with services running approximately every two hours. 

Councillor Eric Swain, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection, said: "We have received numerous requests from residents asking for a bus that stops in these parts of town. 

"We believe this new service will meet that demand and hope local residents will take full advantage by using it regularly. 

"As part of our commitment to increase bus usage in Derbyshire we spend more than £4.1 million subsidising services every year." 

The new 148 service will cost £3,100 a year to run. 

Leaflets giving details of the timetable will be delivered to residents in the Ripley area over the next few weeks. 

Further information is also available from Traveline on 0870 608 2 608 or by visiting the Derbyshire County Council public transport website at www.derbysbus.net

If you are interested in local history but can`t tell one end of a manuscript map from another a workshop at Derbyshire Record Office could be just the thing for you. 

The Derbyshire County Council-run record office holds a large collection of manuscript and printed maps which contain information of interest to local researchers. 

A workshop, called Understanding Maps, will be given by archivists on Wednesday 5 February from 2pm to 4pm at the record office in New Street, Matlock. It will explain how researchers can use the maps to get the information they need. 

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "For people who are getting into historical research for the first time it can be daunting to try and interpret manuscript and printed maps. 

"But with a little bit of knowledge the maps can be used easily and effectively and that is the purpose of this workshop." 

Places on the workshop cost £10 and need to be booked in advance by ringing 01629 585347 or emailing record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk

One of Britain`s best-known traditional raconteurs will be entertaining audiences with his unique storytelling style when he stops off in Derbyshire next week. 

Taffy Thomas is renowned for wearing a colourful coat which he invites his audience to pick a des