Staveley Town Council has agreed to fund new footpath signs to be put up in honour of murder victim Gracie Spinks after a councillor’s long campaign for a permanent tribute in the town.
Town Cllr Mick Bagshaw has been campaigning for the tribute for many months since Gracie Spinks was stabbed to death when she was aged 23 by colleague Michael Sellers after she had gone to look after her horse in Duckmanton, in June 18, 2021.
The council recently agreed after long and careful consideration that its Community Infrastructure Levy money could be used to fund two Gracie Spinks’ name plates for the footpath from Tom Lane, Duckmanton, to Poolsbrook Country Park, to be dedicated in Ms Spinks’ name.
Cllr Bagshaw said he had given careful thought to the plan for a tribute for a ‘Gracie Spinks Way’ in the deceased’s honour and he had ‘ran it through’ with Gracie’s bereaved parents during a long process before the council agreed to the proposal.
He added: “There was something up here telling me to do something for Gracie and I purchased flowers and laid them on behalf of the council.”
Cllr Bagshaw compiled a report in his pursuit of the CIL money which is made up of contributions from developments in the area and is normally used towards the cost of infrastructure schemes by councils.
The council faced delays during the summer with the General Election and the August recess but Cllr Bagshaw called for an Extraordinary Meeting during the summer break in August where it was agreed that CIL money should be used to fund two Gracie Spinks name plates at an initial cost of £673.
Cllr Bagshaw had complained about the delays but the council explained the project had not been budgeted for in its current work programme, and consideration had to be given to maintenance costs and the legal implications of naming a footpath.
The council also had to consider that CIL money should address the demands of development in the area and legal advice from the Derbyshire Association of Local Councils had recommended that a public consultation should be carried out before money was to be spent on the project
There were also concerns about potential confusion with existing public footpath signs and whether agreement to the proposed new name plates might set a precedent concerning other victims of tragedies.
However, Cllr Bagshaw had argued the naming of the footpath would help with community safety as a landmark for any police or emergency service calls because he claims the footpath is unofficially only known as the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ by local residents.
Following a council meeting, on September 24, Cllr Bagshaw said: “I carefully thought about this and ran it through with Gracie’s parents and at the end of the day it’s community safety that is at the top of the list.”
Liberal Democrat town councillor, Paul Jacobs, who supported the tribute plans, told the Extraordinary meeting that funding could come from the CIL money because the name plates were a community safety issue which would fulfil the rules for CIL spending.
A town council spokesperson said: “At an Extraordinary Meeting held on August 20, 2024, Staveley Town Council resolved to support the motion to pay for two nameplates dedicating Staveley Footpath No. 10 to Gracie Spinks.
“The installation will be carried out by Chesterfield Borough Council who will also assume responsibility for future maintenance of the signs.”
Michael Sellers, who had lived in Sheffield, had stalked Ms Spinks before he killed her and then killed himself, at the age of 35, according to a coroner’s inquest.
Chesterfield-born Gracie Spinks had worked as a swimming teacher for Derbyshire County Council and as a warehouse operative at Xbite Ltd, according to funeral directors Harold Lilleker and Sons.
Cllr Bagshaw added: “As soon as we get the signs done we can have the official naming of the path.”
Since Ms Spinks’ death, her parents Richard Spinks and Alison Ward have campaigned for police forces to have improved training and procedures to deal with stalking
Derbyshire Constabulary has reviewed its training and has set up a new stalking policy and planned improved risk assessments and has reminded staff about the importance of note taking and record keeping after an inquest found police had made “serious failings” while investigating the case.
