Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
Chesterfield Borough Council is continuing to prioritise the delivery of essential services across the borough, whilst following the latest Government guidance.
Service-related updates can be found in the dedicated coronavirus section of the council’s website and these are kept up to date daily. You can find full details at: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/coronavirus.
The council’s teams are currently working very hard to respond to all enquiries, but are receiving an extremely high number of phone calls. To talk about specific services and find out key information, use the contact us form here: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/home/about-this-website/contact-us. However, if your enquiry is urgent you can call the Customer Contact Centre on 01246 345 345.
Homelessness and rough sleeping
During this difficult time the council is prioritising delivery of essential services to ensure no one is homeless during this crisis and to make it possible for everyone to be able to self-isolate and follow social distancing guidelines.
Rough sleepers are vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 due to the inability to self-isolate and to comply with the guidance for social distancing. The council is now operating a telephone interview service for homeless people or families in need of assistance.
Councillor Chris Ludlow, cabinet member for housing, said: “At this extremely difficult time it is important that we offer anyone who is struggling the help they require, especially if they are concerned about whether they have a roof over their head. The service is working very hard to reach anyone who needs this help, I would ask that anyone who needs assistance gets in touch as soon as possible.”
If you need support please call the homelessness contact number 07870 277 291 or you can contact the team by emailing homelessness.prevention@chesterfield.gov.uk. More information on our homelessness service is available here: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/housing/homelessness. If you need assistance outside of office hours, please contact the out of hours team by calling 01629 533 190. The service is experiencing high demand so please be patient – leave a message, with your contact details and we will get back in touch as soon as we can.
If you are sleeping rough or you are concerned about someone you’ve seen sleeping rough Pathways of Chesterfield and P3 offer outreach services for rough sleepers and this can be accessed by reporting a rough sleeper via www.streetlink.org.uk. Where we are able to place a rough sleeper in emergency accommodation, we will arrange for the provision of support to enable them to remain safely within the accommodation.
Work is ongoing to ensure that everyone is offered accommodation as soon as is reasonably possible.
Chesterfield Borough Council recognise that the requirements for social distancing and self-isolation, as set out in the Government’s guidance, may increase current and give rise to new tensions in households. If you experience domestic violence you should again contact the council’s homelessness service and they will do everything we can to assist and support you at this difficult time.
Chesterfield Borough Council would like to thank all its partner housing providers for their help in finding homes and providing support to homeless people and rough sleepers at this difficult time.
Planning applications
The Coronavirus outbreak is causing unprecedented disruption to all council services and the processing of planning applications is no exception.
The council are doing everything they can to keep the service running, however, the team is now working remotely and there will be no site assessments, site notice erection or face to face meetings until further notice. This will inevitably delay both the processing of and decision-making on applications. Applicants are being contacted to agree time extensions where appropriate.
In line with advice from the Government’s chief planner, Chesterfield Borough Council will continue to provide the best service possible and are prioritising decision making to ensure the planning system continues to function and supports the local economy.
The council has suspended normal elected member decision making processes to ensure that proper social distancing measures can be maintained. This means that the planning committee will not meet for the coming weeks and the opportunity for public speaking at the committee has been suspended. Instead, decisions will be taken by the development management and conservation manager or the assistant director for economic growth, and where appropriate in consultation with the committee membership.
Where possible, the team is responding to public safety concerns in relation to trees on private land.
Enforcement of new restrictions
To ensure the coordinated and consistent enforcement of the Coronavirus Business Closure Regulations, Chesterfield Borough Council along with other local authorities, Derbyshire County Council trading standards and the police have agreed investigation and enforcement protocols in relation to any breaches of these regulations.
Trading standards will be the lead agency to deal with non-licensed premises, and the borough council will deal with licensed premises. The police will support both organisations as required and will carry out closures if there is a need to do so.
Delegated authority to enforce the new regulations has been approved to enable officers to act where they consider it necessary to close businesses.
Enforcement will be undertaken in line with the councils existing enforcement policy to ensure the most efficient and robust method of enforcement; the service will also be complying with social distancing requirements to prevent the spread of the virus.
If you have concerns regarding premises that may be in breach of the order then please contact: food@chesterfield.gov.uk
Keep up to date with the latest service announcements at: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/coronavirus
