Cllr Baggy Shanker, Leader of Derby City Council, reflects on the past twelve months.
In all areas of life, we face challenges and opportunities. It is no different as the Leader of Derby City Council. What we know is that it’s how we respond to these challenges that counts, and there is no better example than the Alstom train factory. Our city has a strong identity as a pillar of industry and innovation, and it has been a privilege to see Team Derby come together to defend our heritage and support our city's workers. I could not be prouder of what we’ve managed to achieve. Now, the future of the Litchurch Lane plant is almost secure and a brighter future is on the horizon, not only for Alstom but for Derby’s rail industry as a whole, as Great British Railways have made their move into temporary Derby offices before they choose their new permanent headquarters in the city. We can take pride in knowing our city is poised to play a significant role in the rail industry this century, as it has done over the last two.
Just as Alstom has been challenged by government decisions, so have many households, and the Council has been significantly impacted as well. At the beginning of the last decade, 66% of the Council’s income came from government funding, with Council Tax providing 34%. Today, that position has flipped, with only 37% of our income coming from government sources and 63% from Council Tax and Business Rates.
The equation is simple: Councils have had a 20% reduction in funding while demand for services continues to rise, especially for social care, where costs have increased by over 50%. Despite this, we have made excellent progress on our manifesto commitments. We have launched the Derby Promise, where we’re working with partners across the city to give our young people the opportunities they need to reach their full potential. We pledged to keep our libraries open, and we’ve invited organisations to run them as a Trust. There has also been very high demand for the free bulky waste collections that we have introduced as well as scrapping appointments at Raynesway on a Sunday.
We have also faced challenges more unique to Derby, such as legacy schemes like the Derby and Derbyshire Waste Treatment Centre (DDWTC) and the Assembly Rooms site. We have not shied away from meeting and tackling these big decisions. Regarding the DDWTC, we are continuing to work towards securing a resolution and, more importantly, a long-term solution for the city’s waste; one that offers the best value for money for residents and taxpayers.
With the Assembly Rooms, we inherited a vastly unaffordable scheme which could have meant handing back £20 million in Levelling Up Funding. We took the bold decision to shift the funding to revitalise the Guildhall and Derby Theatre, securing their future. We have also named VINCI Developments UK and ION Developments as our preferred strategic development partner to create a masterplan for regenerating key areas of the city centre, including the Assembly Rooms site to bring vibrancy to our streets.
This year, SmartParc has been a big success, and it is fantastic to continue to welcome new businesses to the city, with the Energy Centre and new Hello Fresh distribution centre both opening and most recently a household brand planning to build a new factory, creating hundreds of jobs. Additionally, Councils across the region have come together to create the East Midlands Combined Authority, which promises massive investment for the region and brings powers closer to Derby.
Looking ahead to 2025, it’s going to be a huge year for Derby with the delivery of the Derby Market Hall and the new conference and entertainment venue at Becketwell. Along with the apartments in the Condor building, and the new public square, the rejuvenation of this area of the city centre is really taking shape and creating a Derby to be proud of.
We are all part of Derby. Thank you for working with us this past year. I am proud of what we have achieved together, and I am confident that we can continue to strive to meet the challenges ahead.