County Council insists 'all essential matters' were addressed despite accusations of blocking debates]

Derbyshire County Council’s Leader has insisted ‘all essential matters’ were dealt with during the latest Full Council meeting after opposition Conservative councillors have accused the controlling Reform UK administration of blocking important debates and letting people down.

The council’s opposition Conservative Group Leader, Cllr Alex Dale, has raised concerns about the public council meeting, on October 8th, where opposition motions were not afforded time to be aired and debated after the council voted not to extend the meeting beyond its usual three hours.

Conservatives accused the Reform-controlled authority’s councillors of putting politics before people after they voted not to extend the meeting which prevented debate on two Conservative motions including one calling for action to get four new schools built and another demanding minimum standards for household waste collections alongside other unheard motions which they claim were  important community issues.

Cllr Dale said: “This debate really mattered, not for party politics, but for Derbyshire families. We’re facing a situation where a brand-new primary school at New House Farm could be lost completely because the developer’s legal agreement is about to expire. Reform’s decision to block debate means councillors couldn’t even make the case for urgent action.”

He added that vital issues like school places and waste collections were left without any discussion or debate and he argued ‘residents deserve a council that takes these things seriously’.

The Conservatives claimed the schools motion was time-critical to urge the council to back Conservative calls for the Labour Government to end its year-long review of free schools and approve four vital projects at The Avenue CE Primary, in Wingerworth, at Bolsover Sixth Form or North Derbyshire University Academy, at Infinity Park Spencer Academy, near Sinfin, and at New House Farm CE Primary, near Mickleover.

Another unheard Conservative motion tabled for the meeting called for protection and minimum standards for household waste and recycling services and collections across the county, including a guarantee of free, fortnightly general, recycling and green waste collections and no reductions in bin sizes.

Reform UK Council Leader, Cllr Alan Graves, said: “The last Full Council meeting started at 2pm and is regulated within the constitution to finish by 5pm. A constitution that we inherited from the last administration, which was Conservative. It seems they did not see any reason to change those rules.

“There is an opportunity, through the Standing Orders, to extend the time of any meeting and this is put to the council chamber, again not by any Conservative councillor, but by one of the Independent councillors.

“A vote was had and the majority of councillors voted not to extend, after three hours of debate.”

Cllr Graves added that ‘all essential matters’ of Full Council business were dealt with and the section of the meeting for ‘Councillor Questions’ was put to the end of the agenda by the council chairman to try and facilitate the motions.

He said: “All essential matters of Full Council business was dealt with. ‘Councillor Questions’ was put to the end of the agenda, by the Chairman, to try and facilitate the motions.

“Councillor Questions’ are an opportunity for councillors to ask pertinent questions of the Cabinet. Unfortunately, most, if not all, are attempts at political point scoring and achieve nothing in actual fact.”

The council leader argued that Reform’s own motion regarding its opposition to solar farms on greenfield land – which was heard, voted upon and agreed –  was submitted a while before the deadline for motions to be listed and others were presented at the ‘last minute’.

Cllr Graves stressed that motions cannot instruct the council to do anything and that they are normally used for ‘political headlines’ although they do give members a chance to voice their opinions.

He said: “We tried to allow all motions to be heard in the allotted time, hence why we changed the position of the ‘Councillor Questions’.

“Again, unfortunately, there was a lot of unnecessary political statements by the other parties, mostly the Liberal Democrats but also the Conservatives.

“This added to the time of the meeting and meant we were left with less time for motions.

“What you won’t be aware of is that we agreed with every motion and Reform would have supported each motion presented. Also, those motions will still be debated at a future Full Council meeting.

“My stance on council meetings is that they should be used to facilitate council business rather than grandstanding for political support. However, I also know that Full Council meetings are used for the theatre of politics, which I engage with and will continue to engage.”

Other tabled motions that were not heard at the meeting included concerns about funding for Derbyshire Befriending Service and its future, corporate parenting and local bus provision.

Following the meeting, Cllr Dale said: “Whether it’s schools, bins or vital community services, these are serious issues that deserve proper debate, not political games. Reform’s behaviour yesterday (October 8) let everyone down and Derbyshire deserves better.”

Conservative Deputy Group Leader, Cllr Wayne Major, also accused the Reform administration of refusing to engage with ‘Councillor Questions’ and purposefully running out the clock to avoid debate.

But Cllr Graves said the Conservatives, who previously controlled the council, have taken their reduction to 12 councillors very hard and they are ‘now griping about many issues they never addressed in their eight-year tenure’ instead of working with the Reform administration.

Green Party Leader Gez Kinsella said: “Voting against extending Full Council and therefore curtailing discussion has generated a lot of criticism. Many people have called it anti-democratic.

“I have been critical of the previous [Conservative] administration, but at least they always voted for extending the meeting to get through the business, whether it benefited them or not.

“What Reform did appears to be a deliberate act to stop debate. For example, ‘Members’ Questions’ weren’t heard – valid questions from elected representatives about their Divisions and important motions were dismissed.

“My motion asking for restoration of funding the Derbyshire Befriending Service was not discussed. This surely is not the way to conduct council business.

“Given the strength of public opinion I’m sure the administration will reflect on their behaviour, to ensure the traditions of openness and transparency are upheld.”

Labour Group Leader Anne Clarke said she understood many Reform councillors wished to make their first speech in the chamber on the motion against solar panels on farm land but she felt this debate had been overly long.

Cllr Clarke said: “I am disappointed that extra time wasn’t granted to complete the business on the agenda, as it is really important to have these opportunities for questioning and debate.”

The Derbyshire Independent Group stated it was extremely disappointed the agenda was amended to place ‘Councillor Questions’ at the end of the meeting and that the meeting was not extended and it was also disappointed with the actions of the Reform Group claiming it had ensured neither of the motions put by opposition groups or questions could be taken.

Independent Group Leader, Cllr Ruth George, also expressed her disappointment on social media that most of the tabled motions were not addressed or that any of the ‘Councillor Questions’ were not answered.

Cllr George revealed she had three questions tabled on the number of children needing special school places, a promised pedestrian crossing, and on inadequate signs to deter lorries from using narrow roads.

A Derbyshire Independent Group spokesperson said: “It’s disappointing tactics from a party which claimed they’d be open and transparent, and in whom many voters placed their trust for the first time last May.

“I hope that Reform will act in a more responsible and open manner in future meetings, but it’s important that the people of Derbyshire are aware of how their elected councillors behave so they can be accountable at the planned elections for shadow unitary councils in just 18 months’ time.”

Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Ed Fordham, was asked to comment on the council meeting’s unheard motions but at the time of publication he had still not responded.