Ockbrook & Borrowash Parish Council

Join thousands of other small businesses taking action on climate change by signing up to the SME Climate Commitment at the Government's business climate hub, where you'll also find tips and resources to help you go green.

When you commit, you'll get the tools to help you understand your emissions, how to tackle them, and how to share what you're doing with your customers and your community.

Taking action also has business benefits – simple steps can reduce your running costs, attract new customers who want to buy sustainably, and help you seize new opportunities.

And we, at Derbyshire County Council, have a Green Entrepreneurs Programme offering training and business development opportunities for businesses and communities looking to develop green energy and low carbon solutions. We also have the DE-Carbonise Programme offering businesses in Derbyshire Free Carbon Reduction surveys, or speak to the local Growth Hub.

Have your say on county bus services
We want your views on plans to improve bus services in Derbyshire, so please fill in our consultation questionnaire.

Earlier this year the government published a new National Bus Strategy which sets out a framework for how bus services can recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, and a vision for future improvements across England.

The strategy means we, and bus services in the county, must work together to create a bus service improvement plan. This will involve developing bold plans for making the services better and encouraging more people to use them.

The Government has pledged £3 billion in funding across the country to help deliver these plans, and Derbyshire is aiming to secure a fair share of that funding.

Some of the possible changes that we are seeking views on are:

* better bus stop facilities
* greener buses
* more flexible services, like on demand services
* a range of simple, low-cost, day, weekly and monthly tickets that can be paid for using contactless cards which would allow travel on all bus services and trains
* more reliable services by using more dedicated bus lanes
* real time bus information at more bus stops.
The closing date is the 20 August 2021.

Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week

We're working together with partners to support Anti-Social Behaviour Week to help make your community safer.

The national week – which runs from July 19 to 25 – aims to raise awareness of the issue and provide help and support to people and communities affected by it.

Partners include Derbyshire Constabulary, borough, district and city councils, housing providers, Derbyshire Victim Support, Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Together we've created an online 'hub' of information on what anti-social behaviour is, which agency to report it to, how organisations tackle it and what support that is available if you're experiencing it.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing anti-social behaviour we'd appreciate your help to spread the word.

Please also share information on where to report anti-social behaviour here: Reporting anti-social behaviour (saferderbyshire.gov.uk)

A first for libraries in Derbyshire
Derbyshire's first community-managed library is set to open its doors in August.

Woodville Library is to be the first of our libraries to transfer over to community management as part of our innovative Libraries for Derbyshire strategy.

The library, in Hartshorne Road, will close its doors as a council-run library at 7pm on Friday 23 July and the community group behind the new venture will re-open on Saturday 21 August at 10am.

The group will then settle into the running of the library and are looking forward to planning activities and events later in the year.

Take the Summer Reading Challenge
Our libraries are urging children aged four to 11 to keep up their reading skills over summer with the Summer Reading Challenge.

Children's reading can 'dip' during the long summer holidays but our libraries can help by giving them regular access to books and encouragement to read for pleasure.

The Reading Agency's annual Summer Reading Challenge, supported by our libraries, is part of that. The disruption of education for pupils caused by Covid-19 means the scheme is more needed than ever.

This year's theme is Wild World Heroes – encouraging children to stand up for the planet.

Children can sign up at their local library, choose their reading goal (six books is recommended), then read any books of their choice to collect special stickers and other rewards along the way – all for FREE. There is a website too, so the fun can carry on at home.

A 'spring clean' for our roads
This summer, with the help of the district and borough councils, we'll be carrying out our usual yearly maintenance programme on all the dual carriageways in Derbyshire.

We'll be cutting the grass on the central reservations and at the sides of the roads, picking up litter, emptying the gullies and drains, fixing any potholes, and any other bits of maintenance work that needs carrying out.

A welcome return for our Woodland Festival

Plans are shaping up for the return of our popular Woodland Festival to Elvaston Castle Country Park on Sat 18 and Sun 19 September.

Now in its 20th year the festival is a weekend feast of entertainment for all the family celebrating traditional and contemporary woodland crafts but with much more on offer as well. Professional demonstrators and performers showcase their skills alongside outdoor theatre, storytelling, working horses and traditional fairground rides. There are also many stalls selling gifts and crafts plus refreshments. More info on the Derbyshire Countryside Facebook page.

Find out more information about Derbyshire by visiting www.derbyshire.gov.uk, » Less