A final consultation drop-in session for residents to find out more about devolution and what it means for the Chesterfield borough is to be held in Staveley.

The event will take place at the Healthy Living Centre, Barlow Road, from 4pm to 7pm on Monday 8 August.

It is an opportunity for residents to find out more detail about Chesterfield’s application to benefit from a devolution deal from the Government, which would see powers and funding transferred from London to a more local level.

To get a share of the £900 million on offer over the next 30 years and £484 million in the next five years Chesterfield has applied to become a full member of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority.

Councillor John Burrows, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This is an economic deal to benefit the future of our children and grandchildren, as well as residents and businesses today.

“It is about giving people in Chesterfield communities the opportunities for high quality, well paid jobs; the skills and training they need to get those jobs; the opportunity to set up their own businesses and the housing they will need in the future.

“It’s not about changing geographical boundaries or other public services. Chesterfield is a Derbyshire town and will remain a Derbyshire town.

“Derbyshire police will continue to be our police service, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue will continue to be our fire service, East Midlands Ambulance Service will continue to run our ambulance service and Chesterfield Royal Hospital will continue to be our hospital.

“Chesterfield Borough Council will continue to run all our services. Derbyshire County Council will also continue to run its services as it does now with the exception of public transport services. These would instead be coordinated across a wider region to introduce Oyster card style ticketing across administrative boundaries.”

The move by the Government to implement devolution deals comes as other traditional forms of funding local government are facing cuts.

Councillor Burrows added: “We are in a new world in terms of the way local government funding is provided. This deal is an economic springboard for Chesterfield and if we don’t take this opportunity we are heading into a future of nothing but austerity cuts.

“The alternative Government money being offered is through devolution deals. This is the only place we can go that has the additional funding on offer. We need to take this opportunity to benefit our children and grandchildren’s futures.

“By having a seat at the table we can get at the additional funding available. Funding decisions are not based on the size of population or on deprivation levels in an area. They are based on areas putting forward business case proposals that demonstrate how gaining the extra funding would create jobs and enable businesses to expand.

“Chesterfield’s council and businesses have a good track record of doing this and so we need to bring these powers and funding from London to a local area.”

The Staveley devolution consultation drop-in event on Monday 8 August will complete a series of consultation events that has included:

• a public meeting at the Winding Wheel
• two other drop-in sessions in Chesterfield market
• presentations to the public meetings at Staveley Town Council and Brimington Parish Council
• two consultation events with the town’s businesses and
• engaging with community groups.

There has also been a permanent information display stand at the council’s customer service centre in New Square.

The Sheffield City Region devolution consultation continues until Friday 12 August. Residents and businesses can take part by visiting www.sheffieldcityregiondevolution.org.uk or by getting a paper copy from Chesterfield Borough Council’s customer service centre in New Square.

Further information about what the devolution deal would mean for Chesterfield can be found at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/devolution

Fashion students at Chesterfield College held their annual fashion show last week to showcase a range of bespoke outfits they have created – all inspired by African tribes, sportsmen, rainforests and insects.

This year audiences of the two shows were treated to a visual spectacle of outfits created along the themes of ‘Regency Fashion’ and ‘Abstract Gardens’ as well as a collection inspired by Alexander McQueen.

Students from each level of the fashion and design courses produced garments for the show to demonstrate the range of skills and techniques they get to develop during their time at Chesterfield College. The models bring the work of the students to life as they demonstrate how garment production techniques, laser cutting skills, digital printing on fabric and many other design and manufacturing techniques come together to make stunning outfits.

Final year student, Penny Black’s wonderful collection of daywear inspired by moths featured faux fur, leatherette and wool. Coming from a creative family of women who have worked in the fashion industry, Penny’s mother was a fabric designer and her grandmother a lingerie designer and she is proud to have won a place at DeMontfort University in Leicester on a contour fashion course.

April Spence’s collection was perhaps the most economical and vibrant of the show made entirely from reused fabric found in charity shops and roll-ends costing just £30. April was inspired by the colour and textures in the garments of Ethiopian tribes after she did some research on Africa before creating her trousers, top, jacket and neckpiece.

Fashion tutor Laura Crawley said:-

“The fashion show is a brilliant opportunity for our students to show off their skills and experience the thrills and pressures of putting on a show like this. The students don’t just think about the clothes the models will wear they have to style them too to come up with hair and make-up that creates a stunning look which works with the clothes they are wearing to get their creations noticed. It also gives them a taste of some of the pressures of working in the fashion industry.”