North or south? Check which new unitary council will provide YOUR services from April 2028

An online postcode look-up tool has been launched for residents in Derbyshire and Derby to check which new unitary council will serve the area they live in when local government reorganisation (LGR) takes effect on 1st April 2028.

On Thursday 16th July 2026, the Government announced it had decided to replace 10 councils in Derby and Derbyshire with 2 unitary councils – one for the north and one for the south – to simplify local government for residents and make it more efficient.

It means residents in Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire will receive services provided by a new council for the north area, while residents in Erewash, South Derbyshire and Derby will receive services provided by a new council for the south area.

The boundary line between the new north and south councils in Derbyshire will split Amber Valley in two. If you live in Amber Valley, your address will determine which new council will provide your council services from 1st April 2028.

The postcode checker can be found on Derbyshire County Council’s website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/postcode-checker and allows people to check which parish and district they live in as well as which new council will deliver their services.

Parishes in the north council area include: Aldercar and Langley Mill, Alderwasley, Alfreton, Ashleyhay, Codnor, Crich, Dethick, Lea and Holloway, Hazelwood, Heanor and Loscoe, Idridgehay and Alton, Ironville, Pentrich, Ravensdale Park, Ripley, Shottle and Postern, Somercotes, South Wingfield, Swanwick, Turnditch, Weston Underwood, Windley.

Parishes in the south area include: Belper, Denby, Duffield, Holbrook, Horsley, Horsley Woodhouse, Kedleston, Kilburn, Kirk Langley, Mackworth, Mapperley, Quarndon, Shipley, Smalley.

Derbyshire currently has two tiers of council – the county council is the upper tier and eight district and borough councils are the lower tier. Both are responsible for different services. Derby has a single tier – one council providing all services in the city. This is called a unitary council.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government’s decision means the county, city and district councils will cease to exist on 1st April 2028 when they will be replaced by the 2 new unitary councils.

The new councils will look after all services for their area, from social care, education, roads and children’s services to bin collections, housing, parks and leisure.

Town and parish councils will remain in their current form.

Now the Government has made its decision, councils in Derby and Derbyshire will begin more detailed planning for how services will be delivered in the future.

They are working together to ensure the switch from 10 councils to two is seamless for residents and in the meantime services will continue as normal.

Elections will be held in May 2027 to appoint a ‘shadow authority’ for each of the new council areas. These will form and grow in the background while the existing 10 councils continue to run local services.

A team of executives will be appointed to each shadow council to direct their work as they prepare to officially take over from existing councils on 1st April 2028.