County Council Leader calls for single authority ‘Uniting Derbyshire, not dividing it’ under paused LGR plans

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

Reform UK’s Derbyshire County Council Leader has outlined the authority’s aim to once again to call for a single unitary authority under paused Local Government Reorganisation proposals as opposed to the two planned north and south Derbyshire unitary authorities.

Councils had been preparing for LGR with plans to be introduced between 2027 and 2028 when Derbyshire County Council and the county’s eight borough and district councils and Derby City Council were to be replaced with two unitary councils – a Derbyshire North Council and a Derbyshire South Council.

However, The Labour Government confirmed on September 7th that LGR programmes for Derbyshire and 13 other areas nationally have been paused indefinitely and are being reviewed.

Derbyshire County Council Leader, Cllr Alan Graves, told a recent council meeting: “On September 7th, the Government paused LGR here in Derbyshire and in 13 other areas. In July ministers told us they would replace our ten councils with two.

“Now they say it’s time to pause and reflect. We will use this pause to make the case again for what we believe is the right one. One council for Derby and Derbyshire. Uniting Derbyshire, not dividing it.”

The Government had announced that Derbyshire’s 10 councils – including the county, city and eight district and borough authorities – were to be scrapped and replaced with two new councils along a north and south divide, with Amber Valley split between the two.

Derbyshire’s district and borough councils and Derby City Council agreed a preference for two unitary councils under the ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ format while Derbyshire County Council abandoned its original preference for one single unitary council and aligned with plans for two unitary authorities to maintain involvement.

However, after the Government announced plans to pause and review Derbyshire’s LGR programme amidst alleged legal challenges from councils elsewhere in the country, Cllr Graves announced the county council will take this opportunity to reaffirm its original argument for a single unitary authority to oversee the whole county.

Cllr Graves previously argued that creating one unitary council will save millions of pounds every year compared to the current system of Local Government and options for creating two unitary councils.

He argued it would also cost less to set up and be less disruptive as county council services such as adult care and highways would not need to be separated out over two areas which he claims will be more costly.

Last year, the county council claimed one single unitary council will create more savings of at least an estimated £144 million over six years and £45.1m every year afterwards with greater efficiency compared with a two-council proposal.

The county council argued a two-council system will create disadvantages including a geographical split, disruption with essential services split in two, and difficult boundary issues especially for Amber Valley Borough Council which aims to challenge LGR plans to split its area into both the north and south Derbyshire unitary councils.

However, the district, borough and city councils claimed the proposed ‘One Derbyshire, Two Councils’ forecasts greater accumulative savings of up to £167m by the sixth year, and despite estimated savings of just £4.4m in its first year these are expected to rise to £44m per annum in its sixth year.

They argued one unitary authority for Derbyshire will not work because of the size of the county but a system with north and south councils will maintain the historic areas of the county and provide better opportunities to work in partnerships especially with the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

They also argued one, single unitary authority would create an inefficient delivery of services, would stifle economic and housing growth and create a disparity between Derbyshire and Derby in terms of population and tax base.

The city, borough and district council leaders claim two new unitary councils will keep the councils connected to residents and their needs, provide effective value for money services, preserve local identity and protect Derbyshire’s historic boundaries and meet the Government’s criteria for reorganisation.

They also argue two unitary councils will provide high quality and sustainable public services, work together to understand and meet local needs, create opportunities for stronger community engagement and neighbourhood empowerment, improve efficiency, capacity and financial resilience and support devolution.

Derbyshire County Council’s Reform UK administration claims the Government decision to pause LGR in 14 areas came after the Government received new legal advice and faced the threat of judicial reviews from councils across the country.

The county council claims that Derbyshire’s ten affected councils are already on course to spend up to £66m and potentially £81m amidst preparations that had included elections to its two new proposed unitary authorities in May, 2027, followed by a transition period before the new authorities were to have taken responsibility for local services from April 1, 2028.

Reform UK argues that pausing the LGR plans for Derbyshire and 13 others amounts to a U-turn by ministers and argues that LGR has been rushed and chaotic and has been driven by Whitehall and not local people.

The county council claims that in Derbyshire more than £16m has already been set aside this year for redundancy and preparation costs including over £26m earmarked for staff exits and £12m for new computer systems.

Elections to new shadow authorities under the Government’s previous LGR programme for Derbyshire were originally to have taken place in 2027 and the two new unitary councils were to have been in operation by April 2028 before plans were paused.

But the Government has confirmed normal local elections will go ahead in May 2027 based on current and existing council boundaries.

A further £48m had also been due for LGR for Derbyshire, according to Derbyshire County Council, after the original planned launch date – which now looks unlikely – in April, 2028.

However, Derbyshire’s ten main councils have insisted they are still in a ‘strong position’ to respond to the Government’s decision to pause sweeping LGR plans for the county.

They added that their focus remains on delivering high-quality services for residents, communities and businesses, while continuing to work collaboratively.

The Government has argued that under LGR there will be elected mayors with more powers on planning and transport and it claims changes will create savings, greater efficiency, improved public services, and economic growth.

But critics are concerned about the loss of councils, a reduced number of Derbyshire councillors from 447 to 162, the loss of local control with a risk of greater Government influence, the removal of local decision-making, tax increases, powers taken away from communities and whether the plans will create savings.

Angela Rayner, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has stated that a ‘fundamental rewiring of the state’ with ‘effective and sustainable Local Government’ is necessary.

Derbyshire’s ten main councils include: Derbyshire County; Derby City; NE Derbyshire District; Chesterfield Borough; Bolsover District; Derbyshire Dales; High Peak Borough; Amber Valley District; Erewash Borough; and South Derbyshire District.