Derby Liberal Democrats

Local Liberal Democrats are very concerned that the Council's ruling Labour Group are expecting volunteers to run 10 of the city's 15 libraries. The timescale for groups to form and then tell the Council they want to run a library is very tight. Groups also have to put together a detailed plan for how they would run a library.

Traffic Light Installation

Despite the fact that most local residents and businesses near to the Blagreaves Lane / Stenson Road junction don't want Labour's traffic light scheme, it is going ahead. Work started on this on 24th July and will carry on for 18 weeks.

At peak times the road works have caused traffic queues to form on Stenson Road going back beyond Stenson Road railway bridge, and in the other direction almost to Sunnyhill Avenue. Traffic queues on Blagreaves Lane have not been as long due to vehicles diverting down Blagreaves Ave / Oaklands Ave or Birchwood Ave / Maple Ave.

The Council's accounts for the year end 2015/16 have still not been signed off by independent external auditors. The statutory deadline for this was 30th September 2016. The sign off will hopefully happen in September 2017, one year late. The publication of the 2016/17 accounts has also been delayed until December 2017.

Cheviot Street recreation ground has been left in a state after poor maintenance by Derby's Labour Council.

The play area iwas left unusable for children, with a swing and the climbing frame locked away following vandalism and no sign of repairs.

And the council's previous repairs to football goals have left them in a dangerous condition with exposed sharp edges rather than properly repaired.

Bramblebrook care home closed

This council-run care home on Rough Heanor Road has been closed. The Labour Cabinet had agreed to sell it as a going concern last December. Plans changed this spring due to staffing problems, although local councillors were not told.

Cllr Lucy Care said "We've asked that local people are involved in plans for this site. We have also asked for security to be improved."

Electrification of the Midland Main Line, alongside other track improvements to increase capacity, should continue on this vital East Midlands rail route between Sheffield and London. Without a clear commitment, and action, to electrify this route it will fail to play its part in reducing air pollution in cities like Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield and will not be able to benefit from using clean renewable electricity for sustainable travel.

Independent analysis has shown that Labour's Brown Bin Tax seems to be wasting council tax money.

Labour's Brown Bin Tax took away residents' garden waste bins. It was meant to save the council money.

However, it has emerged that it is instead likely to be costing the council more money instead - while providing a worse service for local residents and reducing recycling levels.