Derbyshire Council wasting £70k

[NLwNH]

AIBU to think that Derbyshire Council have totally lost the plot, to be spending £70,000 on "upgrading" a rocky track on a mountain near Mam Tor?

Surely the money would be better spent on Social Care or Children’s Services? Or if it had to remain within Highways, then how about filling in some more potholes, or improving pavements for buggies and wheelchairs? Or maybe even reducing the Council Tax?

'...reducing council tax'.

Ok, what's the Council tax base in the area?

I'm a Peak District mountain biker. I know Rushup Edge. I also have a job where I manage the expenditure of several £M public money, and is connected to land management.

My understanding is that DCC have done no public consultation on surfacing Rushup Edge, and gave indeed lost the plot.

I've read about mountain bikers' objection to this - lack of consultation, no apparent need in this particular location, using the 'wrong' type of stone - but those specific objections aren't mentioned in your posts.

In general, maintaining paths has benefits, as many here and most mountain bikers would agree.

So why ask such a general question here, when the real objections are to a very specific case, for particular reasons, none of which you've outlined?

The silly thing is that if you explained the case, people might well agree it was poor decision-making in this case, so agree with you.

You've set yourself up to be disagreed with by asking, in effect, whether any spending on countryside rights of way is a waste of money.

I worry about this whole issue.
In many ways the golden egg-laying goose is being killed. The Peak District is beautiful and one of its chief attractions is being able to walk remote footpaths. Lately there has been so much upgrading that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find anywhere quiet, particularly at weekends when the noise level is astonishing.

The paths have to be repaired because they are getting seriously eroded but the more paths are upgraded the more the erosion occurs. The smooth paths are now so crowded that people have to walk alongside the tracks. It's the only way to avoid being mown down by bikes.

Tourists who are supposed to bring so much revenue into the area go out of their way to avoid paying for a car park and, instead, park on every verge and passing place.

More and more tourists are sucked in and the essential quality of the area is squeezed out.

I do recognise that the Park is here for everyone and I love to see parties of kids discovering the countryside. I don't know what the solution to the problem is. There is consultation but the questions are limited and feedback is ignored.

I wish the Council would help local businesses and residents more by investing in decent broadband and I wish the PDNP would recognise that there are businesses here which are nothing to do with tourism.

The Blackpool scheme has been on the cards for five years now, as I was indirectly involved in it back in 2010 when it was due to cost around £140m. Back then the startling fact was that there were 30,000 bed spaces in Blackpool but only 650 were 3* or above. It's changed a bit but not hugely.

Local Authorities have prudential borrowing that they can access, Blackpool used £10m of their pru borrowing to part fund the purchase of the Tower and Wintergardens.

I used to temp in a local council - believe me, a hell of a lot more than £70,000 was wasted!

Regards Derbyshire if you are a resident you can have your say. Their annual budget is £511.4m so £70k doesn't seem like a big amount if it improves the area and tourism? If you have Health and Safety issues then call them and voice this?

www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/council_tax/