News

Images showing how the redeveloped Derby Market Place will look after demolition of Assembly Rooms. Images by Derby City Council.

Derby Assembly Rooms demolition decision

The demolition of Derby’s empty Assembly Rooms has been given the all-clear – with work expected to start next year. Planning Control Committee members of Derby City Council met on Thursday (September 3rd) to take part in the crucial vote that would see whether the city centre venue’s demolition could be finalised and if work to tear it down could now start. Following the meeting, the city council announced demolition can take place in early 2027. The green light to […]

3 September 2026 25

Borough Wide

Extra £1m to deliver local support for Derbyshire SEND families

Derbyshire County Council is set to invest an additional £1m to increase the number of people available to assess and review the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Cabinet, which meets on Thursday 10th September 2026, will be asked to agree the funding towards the cost of employing more staff to support families through the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process. It follows changes which will see staff working to support families […]

3 September 2026 17

Derbyshire County Council headquarters at County Hall, Matlock. Photo by Eddie Bisknell.

Borough Wide

£16m to be set aside by Derbyshire councils for the initial costs of local government reorganisation

Derbyshire councils are to set aside more than £16 million for the initial costs of closing down their own organisations and creating new ones – including laying off many staff. A new report details the expected cost of abolishing Derbyshire’s 10 councils, including the county, city and eight districts and boroughs, and creating two new larger north and south replacements, will be £66 million. In a worst-case scenario – or “stretch case” – this could reach more than £81 million, […]

3 September 2026 29

Borough Wide

Mid-Derbyshire MP Jonathan Davies gives an update on work representing rural communities and local banking

As Parliament returns from the Summer recess, Mid-Derbyshire MP, Jonathan Davies, whose constituency covers the west and south-west of Erewash as well as other parts of Derby and Derbyshire, has given an update on work carried out over the course of the Summer months. Following a busy summer meeting with a range of local groups, including charities, businesses, farmers, and community leaders, a statement issued on social media said that he had heard about the urgent support needed by farmers […]

2 September 2026 12

AI-generated image by geralt from Pixabay

Borough Wide

Derbyshire dementia hotspot delays

Derbyshire is a regional hotspot for dementia, with some residents facing significantly longer delays for support than others. A Derbyshire County Council meeting this week heard how there are 9,850 people in the county and city diagnosed with dementia with a suspected further 5,000 people undiagnosed – totalling 15,000. The meeting was also told of a significant disparity between waiting lists for first contacts for dementia support and eventual diagnosis. In the northern half of the county, the average wait […]

2 September 2026 16

Derby

Top Derby hotspot for bus lane fines

A busy city centre street is still the No 1 hotspot for bus lane fines in Derby. Last year it was revealed that almost 20,000 motorists were fined for entering the Traffic Street bus lanes in 2024 – with the council making more than £700,000 from the fines. Now, a new Freedom of Information request to Derby City Council states that Traffic Street remains top of the list for fines issued. The data shows that more than 6,350 fines have […]

2 September 2026 19

News

Derbyshire child death issues

Issues with staffing, capacity, treatment and communication played their part in the deaths of dozens of Derbyshire children and babies. A report discussed at a Derbyshire County Council meeting this week looked at the deaths of 66 children reviewed in the past year. Deaths of all children aged from birth to 18 are assessed with the aim of preventing future issues. The 66 deaths were all reviewed between 2024 and 2025, but some occurred several years before due to delays […]

2 September 2026 16

Borough Wide

Ilkeston man jailed for sexual abuse of children

An Ilkeston man has been jailed for more than two decades for sexually abusing three children. Ralph Fletcher, 35, of Barclay Court, was found guilty of 14 sexual offences against the children during a trial in May this year. The offences included rape, assault by penetration, and sexual touching. Ronald Fletcher, 37, of Welwyndale Road, Sutton Coldfield was also found guilty of two counts of sexual touching against one of the children, during the same trial A third defendant, Zoe […]

2 September 2026 19

Derby

Derby Raynesway traffic problems resurface

Developers have stated a new retail park in Derby will not cause severe traffic problems amid fresh concerns of “ridiculous” congestion in the area during weekends. Plans were submitted to Derby City Council last month for a shopping and food site on a vacant green area at Raynesway. Jack Lunn Properties Ltd is seeking planning permission to build two new drive-through units – including a restaurant and coffee store – and a terrace of retail units. The retail park would be […]

1 September 2026 20

Derby Assembly Rooms demolition decision

Extra £1m to deliver local support for Derbyshire SEND families

£16m to be set aside by Derbyshire councils for the initial costs of local government reorganisation

Mid-Derbyshire MP Jonathan Davies gives an update on work representing rural communities and local banking

Derbyshire dementia hotspot delays

Top Derby hotspot for bus lane fines

Derbyshire child death issues

Ilkeston man jailed for sexual abuse of children

Derby Raynesway traffic problems resurface

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