Long Eaton - County Councillor

26/10/2026

FIELDS FARM ESTATE RESIDENTS ONLY

Dozens of you have engaged with me on posts about the late-night speeding on Fields Farm Road. Some of you have also sent me dashcam footage, witness statements, number plates and other information, which is really helpful.

Tomorrow, I’m meeting with officers to discuss the proposals around turning the pedestrian crossing into a camera that can capture drivers jumping the lights or speeding through that section of road past the estate.

If you live on Fields Farm Estate or have been one of those effected by the late night racing / speeding (there have been near fatal accidents) please send me a message on here or email me as soon as you see this post. I’d really appreciate hearing from you before the meeting, as your input is important ... essential even

Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to get in touch and share information.

26/10/2026

Reform led Derbyshire County Council the first in England to introduce Motorcycle Safety Markings

Coming from a family of bikers and having lost close family members on the roads, I know too well how important road safety is for motorcyclists.

I’m very proud to support Derbyshire County Council in being the FIRST in England to introduce these road markings and signs to help make our roads safer for riders which I have whole heartedly got behind

The first PRIME motorcycle safety signs and road markings have been placed on the B6015 Woodhead Road near Glossop and the A6 between Buxton and Bakewell with more locations to follow.

PRIME stands for Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment. Try saying it fast ...

signs and gateway markings are designed to help motorcyclists judge their speed and road position more safely when approaching bends.

This is something that means a lot to me personally, and I'm glad to see Derbyshire leading the way and doing something positive for our biking community.

24/10/2026

🇬🇧 𝗕𝗨𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞, 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗟𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹?

By

22/10/2026

Upgrade to pedestrian crossing on Market Place near junction with Oxford Street, Long Eaton

Works will begin on Monday 2nd November and are expected to be completed by Friday 13th November.

We will replace the existing traffic signal equipment, which has reached the end of its operational life with modern, upgraded equipment.

As requested Derbyshire County Council will also be making improvements to the surrounding crossing area, including:

- The installation of tactile paving to assist visually impaired pedestrians.
- Footway resurfacing to improve safety for pedestrians.

Road marking works will then be carried out as part of the wider resurfacing works planned for the early part of 2027 as part of a bigger job request

The works are being carried out by Crown Highways and they also form part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan, a nationwide initiative funded by the Department for Transport to improve bus services for passengers.

Disruption? They'll be a bit but ...to minimise disruption, they'll make use of the existing traffic management arrangements already in place for the Long Eaton Town Deal works. This will help minimise disruption during the works and avoid the need for additional disruption at a later date.

Public enquiries

If you have any queries about the works, please contact Crown Highways in the first instance ...

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07837 199 436

Thank you for your patience and understanding while these important improvements are carried out. The upgrades will help improve pedestrian safety and support better bus services for Long Eaton.

22/10/2026

Fake passports ? interference in elections? targeting vulnerable veterans? Watch this space ...

22/10/2026

A Long Eaton Town Council maintaining control?

Before we get carried away with the idea that this will somehow protect Long Eaton’s independence ... think about this

It was first suggested because Local Government Reorganisation was coming. That has now been paused. It hasnt been permanently abandoned but it's not looking very clever

Second, and this is where I think residents really need to pay attention, from 31 October 2026, the Government’s new national planning rules will restrict which planning applications councillors can decide through planning committees. Categories of applications will be determined by planning officers instead. No you, not me and we won't be able to vote against it

Residents will still be able to submit concerns, but it will be ONE planning officer that will say yes or no. Your objections, Councillors objections won't matter. No more local control ... because central Labour government are dictating what happens locally and we will have less local democracy

So now ... we are being asked to consider a Long Eaton Town Council to keep control over what happens and it's being sold by Labour councillors as "it will help locals have a voice" ... will it? As of October 31st you won't 🤷

So ask this ... What meaningful powers would it actually have? What decisions would it be able to influence? How much would it cost residents? And how much control would it genuinely give the people of Long Eaton over the decisions that affect their lives?

A town council might provide a local voice and manage certain community services, facilities and spending. But it would not gain control over planning decisions or the wider powers exercised by borough, county or future unitary authorities. And do you think that Labour’s erosion of your voice will stop at October 31st planning ... not a chance

We need to understand what devolution and local government reform really mean in practice. Its clear that decision making is becoming more centralised in important areas, even while we are being offered new local councils in the name of community representation ?

Creating another council (remember you'll have to pay for it) does not automatically create more independence. Nor does having another group of elected cllrs mean having more power over the decisions that matter most.

Before anyone asks residents to support a new council, or potentially contribute towards its running costs, let’s see a clear explanation of its powers, responsibilities, costs and limitations.

We need to know because when those extra pound signs start showing up on your council tax bill ... you'll find it very difficult to get a town council quashed.

More councillors, more cost you, less control?

21/10/2026

Give your feedback, officially, on whether you want to pay for a Long Eaton Town Council

As I’ve said, Labour councillors are looking to put forward proposals for yet another layer of local government: a Long Eaton Town Council.

If a town council is set up residents would be paying towards it through their council tax. That money would then be controlled by a further group of 18 councillors, who would make collective decisions about how it should be spent.

We need to consider the track record of these same Labour cllrs controlling Erewash Borough Council itself. if Long Eaton residents already feel that their voices are not being heard by the existing council, why should they automatically trust that a new town council, potentially run by many of the same Labour councillors, would operate any differently?

Over 40 of you commented on my previous post saying you were against it. That will not count or be taken into consideration

So please FILL OUT the survey below

PLEASE ALSO KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR RESPONSE.

📌 Take a screenshot of your submitted answers or your response confirmation, as proof

📌 Email the screenshot to me at [email protected] so that I have back up proof

I am not suggesting that anyone is deliberately failing to record residents' views. However, when a decision could affect residents financially and change how local services are governed, I believe it is sensible to keep a record rather than leave anything to chance.

Sending me your opinion by email won't get to Erewash Borough Council you MUST fill in the survey

If you support the proposal, say so. If you oppose it, say so. If you have concerns or questions, make those known too. What matters is that residents take part in the consultation and have their say.

Please share this post so that as many Long Eaton residents as possible have the opportunity to make their views known. They've already pushed through to stay 2 without, in my opinion, enough public awareness

Erewash Borough Council is carrying out a Community Governance Review to consider whether changes should be made to local governance arrangements across the borough. The first public consultation closed on Thursday 20 August 2026 and your feedback from this survey will

21/10/2026

Update from Cllr Paul Maginnis regarding the Harrington Bridge works, which might effect Long Eaton residents

🚧 Update on Harrington Bridge Roadworks

Quite a few residents have contacted me concerned about the signs on Tamworth Road stating that the roadworks will last for 22 weeks.

Thankfully, this doesn't mean 22 weeks of traffic lights or lane closures!

I've received an update from Derbyshire County Council confirming the following:

🚦 Temporary traffic lights: These are expected to finish on Friday 13th November (possibly even a week earlier).

🚧 Overnight closures: There are separate overnight closures until 23rd October, associated with Leicestershire County Council's works. There will also be two further overnight bridge closures on 7th/8th and 14th/15th November.

🔧 Bridge repairs: The overall £1.4 million refurbishment programme will continue until March 2027, but much of the remaining work will take place underneath the bridge rather than on the road itself.

Following discussions with the Council, I'm pleased they've listened to my concerns about overlapping roadworks and adjusted the programme to help minimise disruption.
Believe me when I say I'm as frustrated as anybody about the constant roadworks - it's an endless battle!

But the important thing is that residents won't be facing 22 weeks of traffic lights as many had feared.

I'll continue to keep everyone updated on the roadworks situation in Sawley.

19/10/2026

A Long Eaton Town Council: Do you want one, and are you prepared to pay for it?

Labour councillors are pushing forward proposals to create a separate town council for Long Eaton. A formal consultation is now happening

With local government reorganisation in Derbyshire now paused, I believe we need to ask whether creating another tier of local government is the right thing to do?

A town council could give Long Eaton a stronger local voice and greater control over certain community facilities and services. Or at least the councillors on this new council would have voice and the control of the money ... money that YOU will have to pay

Residents already pay council tax towards DCC and Erewash Borough Council. A Long Eaton Town Council would mean a THIRD council, funded by you

I'm not necessarily opposed to Long Eaton having its own town council. However, when so many households are already struggling I think.residents deserve to know how much more they could be expected to pay, what responsibilities the new council would have and what additional benefits it would deliver and to who and will the money go to. I asked a few residents and more than one said "jobs for the lads", not entirely sure what that means 🤷

I think that for any future town council ALL residents should be specifically asked. And such a town council should be genuinely community led. I think that Absolutely NO former Labour Cllrs, no Conservative, nor Reform should be allowed. I'd want to see local residents and business owners running it and putting Long Eaton first. Not another political council

That meana existing borough councillors, myself included, should NOT seek positions on a new town council.

I've looked at the council's online consultation process myself and, personally, found it confusing. If we genuinely want residents to have their say, the process needs to be simple, clear and accessible to everyone.

The consultation closes on 4 December 2026.

Whether you support the proposal or oppose it, I encourage you to visit the Erewash Borough Council website, find the Community Governance Review consultation and make your views known ... if you can navigate it

Long Eaton residents deserve clear answers about what they're being asked to support, what it will cost and what they'll get in return.