Statutory consultation launched on Derbyshire councils’ preferred proposals to reshape Local Government

Derbyshire County Council Leader, Councillor Alan Graves, Taken by BBC LDR Jon Cooper.

By Jon Cooper – Local Democracy Reporting Service

Derbyshire councils have stressed how important it is for everyone to keep providing input with the launch of the latest consultation into the county’s proposed changes for the future delivery of services under the Government’s Local Government Reorganisation plans.

The Labour Government is aiming to set up single, unitary authorities across England with an elected mayor in two-tier authority areas like Derbyshire as part of LGR plans by scrapping and merging city, county, borough and district councils, and on February 5th the Government launched a seven-week statutory consultation for residents, businesses, public bodies and other organisations to provide their views following two previous public consultations.

Derbyshire County Council has proposed one single unitary council for Derby and Derbyshire while seven of the district and borough councils and Derby City Council have proposed four possible variations on a ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ model with one northern unitary authority and one southern unitary authority.

Although Derbyshire Dales District Council opted not to submit proposals it has indicated a preference for two unitary councils for Derbyshire including northern and southern authorities.

Council advocates of the ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ model stated: “All councils in Derbyshire were asked to respond to the Government’s call to simplify and transform the way council services are delivered to local people in the future.

“The needs of our communities – now and in the future – are at the heart of our plan to create two new unitary councils covering all of Derbyshire, and its development was shaped by technical evidence and thousands of contributions from local residents and organisations.

“This next stage allows Government to gather further views before reaching a decision on which proposal to implement.”

LGR plans aim to ideally set up single, unitary authorities across England with an elected mayor in two-tier authority areas like Derbyshire which currently operate with a county council and then with borough and district councils which could all be scrapped and merged under LGR in a bid for greater efficiency and financial savings.

The Government’s statutory consultation is seeking views on the Derbyshire councils’ total of five proposals for the county including the county council’s proposal for one unitary authority and the other district and borough councils’ four different variations on the ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ model.

Derbyshire’s Derby city, district and borough councils’ ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ proposal includes four variations with differing options, dubbed A, A1, B and B1, selected by each of these councils relating to different sizes, populations and north-south boundary lines.

NE Derbyshire and Bolsover opted for A1 for NE Derbyshire, Chesterfield, Bolsover, High Peak, Derbyshire Dales and part of the Amber Valley to be in one northern unitary council, and Derby City, Erewash, South Derbyshire, and part of Amber Valley to be in a southern unitary council.

Chesterfield, High Peak, Erewash and Derby City opted for B1 with Chesterfield, NE Derbyshire, Bolsover, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak and a slightly different part of Amber Valley to be in the northern council while the southern council would include Derby City, Erewash, Southern Derbyshire and a slightly different part of Amber Valley.

Amber Valley has opted for option A for Chesterfield, NE Derbyshire, Bolsover, High Peak, Derbyshire Dales and Amber Valley in the northern council and a southern council area including Derby City, South Derbyshire and Erewash.

South Derbyshire has opted for option B for Chesterfield, NE Derbyshire, Bolsover, Derbyshire Dales and High Peak in the northern council and the southern council would include Derby City, Erewash, South Derbyshire and Amber Valley.

One of the main issues under the ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ appears to be where Amber Valley will fall with some of the councils wanting different parts of Amber Valley in the north and the south, while Amber Valley wants to be in a northern unitary council, and South Derbyshire District Council wants Amber Valley to be in a southern unitary council.

Advocates for the proposed ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ model, have argued it will keep the councils connected to local residents and their needs, transform and provide effective value for money services while preserving local identity and protecting Derbyshire’s historic boundaries.

While Derbyshire County Council has claimed its proposal for a single unitary authority will create a more cost effective system with greater savings and avoid a geographical split unlike the city, borough and district councils’ ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ proposal.

Reform UK Derbyshire County Council Leader, Cllr Alan Graves, has said: “It’s clear that creating a single unitary council covering the whole of Derby and Derbyshire is in the best interests of all residents and businesses in the area.

“Creating one new council would save millions of pounds every year compared to the current system of Local Government and options for creating two unitary councils.

“It would also cost less to set up and would be less disruptive as major county council services such as adult care and highways would not need to be separated out over two areas – which would be more costly as our financial analysis shows.”

The Government is planning for new LGR areas to include elected mayors with more powers on planning and transport and it has argued that the changes will create savings, create greater efficiency, improve public services, and support economic growth.

But critics are concerned about the loss of councils and councillors with Derbyshire to be reduced from 447 councillors to 162 if the LGR plans go ahead alongside concerns for the future of jobs.

Critics also fear a loss of local control with a risk of greater Government influence, the removal of local decision-making, tax increases, powers being taken away from communities and doubts about whether the plans will create savings.

Bolsover District Council’s Chief Executive, Karen Hanson, has stressed that following a decision expected this summer on the preferred LGR proposal for Derbyshire a joint committee will oversee structural changes and there could be potential redundancies at the district council’s higher levels but other staffing is expected to remain largely unchanged because services will still be needed.

The UNISON union has stated that LGR in Derbyshire must be about levelling up communities and strengthening public services with proper funding and protection for employees and not about cutting costs or putting jobs at risk.

NE Derbyshire District Council Managing Director, Lee Hickin, has previously said the district council acknowledges there is anxiety concerning jobs and staff, recruitment and funding plans which may prove to be difficult areas as councils continue to face an uncertain future.

Bolsover District Council and NE Derbyshire District Council have recently outlined council tax increases for 2026-27 with some caution to support continued service delivery as they both cited the uncertainty posed by LGR.

Ms Hanson, of Bolsover District Council, and the district council’s Interim Director for Planning, Devolution and Corporate Policy, Sarah Kay, explained that following the seven-week statutory consultation on all the submitted proposals with input from residents, businesses, local authorities and public bodies a decision is expected in the summer of 2026 on how Local Government is to be reorganised.

Under the Government’s current timetable, elections to the new shadow authorities could take place in May, 2027, and the new unitary councils could start to operate by April or May, 2028, according to Bolsover District Council.

There are no proposals to cancel any town and parish council elections during the planned transition, according to Ms Hanson, because town and parish councils are not directly affected by LGR although some more guidance may follow from the Government about ‘neighbourhood elements’.

Ms Hanson also said that she assumes the Government will make a decision whether the Bolsover District Council’s elections – which would ordinarily take place in May, 2027 – will happen or not or be deferred as has been decided for some others elsewhere in the country.

The seven-week statutory consultation is the next milestone in the Government’s LGR process which will see the biggest shake up of local councils for more than 50 years.

It is a formal, legally‑required process which must be carried out by the Government before it can make a final decision on which proposal to support.

The statutory consultation is separate to the two local LGR public consultations, with one previously organised by Derbyshire County Council and the other held by the districts, boroughs and Derby City Council, which ran last summer and helped to shape the current proposals.

Derbyshire residents, businesses and organisations are now being encouraged to have their say on the final proposals in this next round of consultation, which closes on March 26th.

The councils have also been invited to submit formal responses to the consultation.

Results will help the Government understand what people and organisations think about each of the proposals, before ministers make a final decision in the summer.

Advocates for the ‘One Derbyshire. Two Councils’ model stated: “Our shared priority remains ensuring that any future arrangements deliver effective, sustainable and responsive services for the people of Derbyshire, and we would encourage residents, businesses and organisations to take part in the consultation.”

People can find out more about the proposals – and submit their views – via the Government’s website: Local government reorganisation in Derbyshire and Derby – GOV.UK

Printed copies will be made available at public buildings including council offices, libraries and sports centres. Alternative formats of all documents should be requested by contacting the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) at: AlternativeFormats @ communities.gov.uk

The results of the consultation will help inform the Government’s decision on how local government should be structured in the county area of Derbyshire in the future. A final decision is expected in mid-2026.

Under the Government’s current timetable, elections to any new shadow authority or authorities would take place in 2027, and the new unitary council or councils would start to operate on April 1st, 2028.