SCARCLIFFE PARISH COUNCIL
Chair’s Report, May 2026 Scarcliffe Parish Council works to promote the well-being of the people of Hillstown, Palterton and Scarcliffe. Parish Councils are the level of government closest to the community and councillors are grateful for the support for our activities from members of the public. We are particularly grateful to all those volunteers who helped helped us deliver magazines and Xmas parcels this year. Scarcliffe Parish elects eight Councillors, four representing the Hillstown area in the North and four representing Palterton and Scarcliffe in the South. All our Councillors are volunteers; they receive no payment for the work they undertake for the community. Councillors 2025 -2026 Cllr John Young (Chair), Cllr Rowan Clarke (Vice Chair). Other members of the Council are Cllr Suzanne Barnicoat, Cllr Malc Crane, Cllr Joel Fletcher-Swindlehurst, Cllr Guy Freeland, Cllr Justin Rigg and Cllr Carol Wood.

Finance
The required financial audit was carried out and no concerns were raised.
The Council is delighted to announce that for the 6th year running we have not increased the Parish Council rate. This is due to the hard and effective work of our staff and the careful husbandry of Brian Smyth, our RFO. Our reserves remain strong and we have financed several improvements. As listed below. During the past twelve months the following actions were carried out:

Communication
The Council Website has been continuously updated and expanded to provide more extensive information and news for parishioners.

Two biannual newsletters have just been delivered to all homes in the parish.

Palterton Village Hall
Councillors also act as Trustees for Palterton Welfare, the charity which administers Palterton Village Hall and playing field. The Hall grows ever more popular, with a rise in the number of children’s parties and people attending regular clubs. The Council appreciates the excellent work of Clerk Liz Smyth, Caretaker Mavis Riley and Bar Manager Sharon Hall.

Among other activities,

• we host a very popular award-winning parent and toddler club
• we have recently welcomed a second football team
• The Hillstown Jubilee Social Club is at full-capacity membership.
• Bolsover Post Office continues to operate in our small room on Thursday mornings.
• Outside, new planters and seating are now installed to be filled with plants in the summer.

At Xmas Palterton Village Hall hosted several well-attended parties and concerts, including the traditional Pantomime.

Supported by a National Lottery Grant the Palterton Village Hall Cellar has been renovated and new appliances purchased. The Bar has also been improved. New end doors have been installed.

Environment
The Council is currently consulting about providing an estate fence to prevent vehicles damaging the surface of the Palterton Recreation Ground. This will be funded by grants.

New trees are now establishing themselves along Steels Lane and hundreds of new bulbs recently placed in Hillstown, Palterton and Scarcliffe brightened up the early spring across the parish. have been provided in Palterton and Scarcliffe playgrounds.
Extra hanging baskets have been ordered for Hillstown to fill in existing gaps and should be in place shortly.

The council has supported Hillstown Allotment Associations to improve the Langwith Road site. We were successful with a National Lottery grant application for £9,750 to improve surfaces and fences at Hillstown and the problems of muddy trackways have been addressed. A secure storeroom has been erected and the carpark surface fully renewed. We greatly appreciate the hard work of all our allotment holders in making this happen.

The grant also allowed us the plant 1,015 hawthorn switches and 12 trees to replace the hedge damaged by a field fire in 2025. The Council is grateful to Connect Fibre for supporting this development. We would also like to thank the volunteers from the Allotment Association for their hard work.

The Council has continued to develop the triangle of land on the south side of Mansfield Road by Hillstown Water Tower. Orders are in place for a new Hillstown sign, bench, litter bin and additional flower bed. We will also be erecting our new Parish Council noticeboard. Planning permission is awaited for all these items.
Two replacement benches have been installed at Palterton Playground, and another is on order for Scarcliffe.

Governance
The council is constantly revising all its existing policies to ensure they are up to date. Recent policies cover Dignity at Work, Member Officer Protocol, Equality and Diversity, Freedom of Information, Privacy, Safeguarding, Complaints and Vexatious Complaints.

The Human Resources Committee meets to support the council’s staff. New policies have been adopted and systems improved. We are most grateful for the hard work and dedication of our Council Clerk, Liz Smyth, and her team: Deputy Clerk/RFO Brian Smyth, Caretaker Mavis Riley and Bar Manager Sharon Hall.

Grants
The following grants have been awarded:

• Section 137s as Follows
• £450 V E Day Scarcliffe Village Action Committee
• £300 VE Day Palterton Residents £200 Co-Responders (Bolsover defibrillator training)
• £200 St Lukes Mission £1000 SVAC garden party
• £1000 Palterton Residents Christmas party
• £80 Royal British legion (donation for wreaths)
• £1000 SVAC Christmas event

Other Grants

• PANTOMIME £1350
• HILLSTOWN over 60s hampers £2500

Projects
We remain determined to provide vital play facilities for our younger parishioners living in Hillstown. Throughout the year the Council continued its dialogue with the Hillstown Miners Welfare Trustees on our proposal to fully fund a play area for 4 -12-year-olds on Hillstown Recreation Ground.

Unfortunately, the Council was unable to agree to the Trustees’ requirement for £3,500 annual rent. An independent valuation has determined a fair rent to be £300, and the Council has offered £500 per annum. Recently the Hillstown Trustees informed us that the land they had identified for the playground is no longer available.

Maintenance and inspection have been carried out in respect of our playgrounds at Palterton and Scarcliffe and repairs made to surfaces where required. We have also carried out inspections of our bus shelters.

Speed Information Devices. The Council has installed six warning devices across the Parish to reinforce the local speed limits. These have been installed at locations which have been identified by the Police and County Council.

Events
In November Councillors laid wreaths at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Palterton and Scarcliffe. Silhouette statues were put on display, and the Council joined the ceremony at Bolsover to commemorate the fallen of Hillstown.
We have given grants to residents Scarcliffe Village Action and Palterton Residents groups to help celebrate VE Day and donated to Old Bolsover Town Council’s VE activities.

Planning
During the year Councillors have regularly reviewed planning applications and lodged responses with Bolsover District Council, objecting where we believe a proposal will not be beneficial for the area. We have regularly reported concerns about road safety to Derbyshire County Council.

Cllr John Young
Chair
May 2026