A cautionary tale from the Derbyshire Dales !

Normally at this time of year, social media in the sleepy villages of the Derbyshire Dales is busy with news of carnivals, wakes weeks and well dressings. Not in 2021! Instead, it's bins, bins and more bins, as the local Council, multi-national corporation Serco and residents have become embroiled in an increasingly bitter dispute about the bailout and the local refuse collection service.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an urgent inquiry into the Government's handling of the evacuation of UK Nationals and Afghans from Afghanistan as the last British flight leaves Kabul.

In a letter to Boris Johnson, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey MP branded the UK withdrawal from Afghanistan as "the biggest British foreign policy disaster since the Suez Crisis". He also challenged the Prime Minister to come clean on several outstanding issues, including Dominic Raab going on holiday as the Taliban advanced, how many Afghans had been left behind in the UK's rush to withdraw and what actions the Prime Minister took over the last two years to persuade first President Trump, and then President Biden, not to withdraw US troops.

Lib Dem Councillor Katherine Hollingworth has asked for urgent action to remove the growth at the bottom of the trees on Holmebank West describing it as a hazard to pedestrians and drivers. She explains "this is as an increasingly dangerous situation. People using pushchairs and wheelchairs are forced to walk on the road to get past. Plus the growth obscures peoples vision when coming out of driveways"

Peatlands were often seen as holding little if any value. Traditionally the land was drained for arable farming, forestry, and grazing for livestock. Peat continues to be extracted for gardeners and commercial growers or to be burnt as fuel. And here in Derbyshire, the practice of rotational burning of peat to manage the habitat for grouse shooting continues today.

Thursday the 5^th August found the Mayor, Glenys Falconer, and her Consort, Cllr Keith Falconer, at the evening Queen tribute concert. Held appropriately in Queens Park the concert was promoted by Derbyshire County Cricket Club. A dazzling collection of performers from London's West End, including former stars from the smash hit musical 'We Will Rock You', gave an incredible tribute to one of the world's great rock bands.

Chesterfield Pride is set to return in 2021 after the disappointment of the event being postponed in 2020. The event is planned to return on August 22nd 2021. Chesterfield Pride is one of the biggest and best attended Pride events in the region, with 2019 seeing over 6000 attending the LGBTQ+ celebration.

As highlighted last month, statistics show that renewable energy growth has slowed in the last year, despite promises from the Conservatives to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and to make Britain the "Saudi Arabia of wind energy."

Offshore wind capacity grew by just 4% in 2020, compared to 20% the previous year. Onshore wind increased its capacity by just 1.1%, continuing a downward trend since 2017, when the Conservatives made it significantly harder to build new onshore wind farms. Solar capacity increased by 1.6%, continuing its limited growth since the Conservatives cut subsidies for solar power in 2016.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to guarantee that no EU citizen without Settled Status will fall victim to the Hostile Environment, as new figures show that more than half a million people were still waiting for a decision on their application when the deadline hit on Wednesday.

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to keep masks mandatory on public transport after 19th July.

Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, believes it would be a small price worth paying to protect others:

"Many people, especially the vulnerable, do not yet feel confident enough to travel on crowded public transport. There are millions who have still not been double jabbed, and are therefore at greater risk of both becoming ill themselves and spreading the virus to others.

Liberal Democrats have warned the Government that small businesses face a 'black hole' in support, risking thousands of closures and job losses.

Furlough begins to taper away and the business rates holiday comes to an end on July 1st. However, restrictions are set to remain in place until 19th July.