The Labour leadership at Chesterfield Borough Council (CBC) has put forward a plan that will hopefully save Staveley Town Council (STC) from collapse.

Chesterfield Borough Council have proposed providing a loan of £400,000, after shocking revelations showed that the STC has debts of £570,000. Without the financial rescue package from CBC, the town council would have to increase their precept by 78% for the financial year 2023/24, meaning a big increase in the council tax bill for households in Staveley.

Toby said, “I am very glad that the financially well-run Labour-led Borough Council have put forward this rescue package as I cannot see any other way forward for the town council. This package will hopefully ensure that basic services can continue to run in Staveley, staff and debts can be paid and I hope, a more responsible administration can be elected this May.”

The proposed loan will have to be repaid over five years and there will be measures put in place to ensure the money is used correctly and not wasted. The loan would also be secured against assets owned by STC to ensure that Borough Council’s loan is secured as it is a liability that falls on taxpayers across the Borough.

The full extent of the chaos at Staveley Town Council was exposed at last night’s FULL meeting of Chesterfield Borough Council, when it was revealed that Staveley Town Council had failed to apply to the government for grants totalling  £144,791, to which they were entitled and which other authorities, like Brimington Parish Council, had applied for and received.

It was also revealed that despite asking the Borough Council to give them £69,000 of COVID money the Town Council had never provided any data to back up what the request was required to pay for and what COVID losses the Town Council were claiming for.

Toby added, “An informal Staveley Independent and Liberal Democrat coalition has been running the town council for the past four years and it is clear that there has been abject financial mismanagement and a complete failure to recognise the scale of the problems or address credible solutions before it was too late. I will continue to push for an independent investigation and very much look forward to a more responsible administration emerging after May’s elections.”