Elections

Rough sleeping down

Erewash has seen a reduction in the number of homeless people on its streets.

The annual rough sleeping estimate, carried out by local authorities each autumn, showed six people rough sleeping on the night of 19 November 2020, a reduction of five from the previous year.

Erewash Borough Council leads rough sleeping services for Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands and there has also been a significant reduction in the number of people rough sleeping across the partnership area.

The reduction is partly due to the increased support the council and its partners have given homeless residents throughout the pandemic to find accommodation and to help them keep it.

The council is urging residents to help reduce rough sleeping even further by contacting the council-funded Derbyshire Outreach Team, run by the charity P3, if they see anyone sleeping rough in Erewash.

This can be done by visiting p3charity.org/DOT or by free phone 0808 196 8199. The outreach team will then locate the person and find them somewhere to stay.

Taking the helm

Erewash Partnership has elected university academic Bev Crighton as it’s new chair, the first woman to head the organisation in its 26-year history. Bev is a senior lecturer in business management at the University of Derby and has served on the Partnership’s board of directors since 2015. The enterprise agency has its HQ in Long Eaton and helps people to start and grow businesses. It has managed work spaces in the town and in Ilkeston. The new vice-chair of the Partnership is Richard Ledger, managing director of Draycott-based Millitec, and also chair of Long Eaton Town Board.

Elections

Elections for Derbyshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire take place on Thursday 6 May.

The easiest and safest way to cast your vote is to have a postal vote, with new applications needing to be made by the deadline of 5pm on Tuesday 20 April – your vote matters so apply now!

The council recently sent letters to all households to confirm that the information we have on the Register of Electors is correct. The letter also contained a postal vote application form.

But if you still want to apply please email electreg@erewash.gov.uk or call 0115 907 1190.

Polling Stations will be open and safe measures in place. Voters will need to wear face masks and take their own pen or pencil. In some areas, parish council elections will also take place.

The register to vote deadline is Monday 19 April. Applications for a proxy vote must be made by 5pm on Tuesday 27 April.

Polling stations will be safe places to vote in May, but there are other ways to vote.

IN PERSON

BY POST BY PROXY

Want to vote by post? Apply early

Find out more at electoralcommission.org.uk/voter