Derbyshire County Council Archives

The proposed new A50 junction and link road at Sinfin. Image from Pegasus Planning Group

Cost of new Derby A50 junction surges to over £89 million with work yet to start

The cost of a new Derby A50 junction has soared to more than £89 million with work on the major project yet to start. Seven years since public consultation on the scheme took place and five years since planning approval, work on the A50 junction at Deepdale Lane, just south of Stenson Fields, has not begun. During this time, the cost of the project continues to surge without a spade even entering the ground. The initial cost of the scheme […]

28 July 2026 30

Gnome Island in Nottingham Road, Ilkeston. From Eddie Bisknell.

Borough Wide

Plans for large gnome statue on Ilkeston traffic island take a diminutive step forward

Plans to install a large gnome statue on a “culturally significant” ornament-adorned roundabout in a Derbyshire town have taken a step forward. In the midst of a near five-hour Erewash Borough Council meeting filled with debates about free parking, rewilding, a new M1 junction and asylum seeker accommodation, sat a discussion about Ilkeston’s beloved ‘Gnome Island’. The Nottingham Road, Park Drive and Morrisons junction is marked by a roundabout home to a number of gnomes, an impromptu community quirk which […]

27 July 2026 28

Derbyshire

County Council Cabinet asked (30th July) to approve plans to protect the environment and benefit communities

A new plan has been drawn-up by Derbyshire County Council to help it meet its environmental responsibilities while also bringing about benefits for residents and the local economy. Cabinet Members will be asked to approve the plan, called the Environmental Sustainability Strategy at a meeting next week (Thursday 30th July 2026). If the new plan gets the go-ahead, it will help the council to carry out legal duties placed upon it by the Environment Act 2021 and other legislation and […]

23 July 2026 11

Derbyshire

Derbyshire County Council plans to roll out ‘red carpet’ strategy for film industry boost to the county

Derbyshire councillors have united to help establish the county and region as a greater global base and destination for worldwide movies and television to boost jobs, economic growth and the arts. Reform-controlled Derbyshire County Council voted with opposition party councillors in favour of Cllr Sarah Reaney’s motion at a meeting on July 15th for the authority to recognise the industry as a priority sector and to develop a screen and creative industries plan while exploring a potential film or creative […]

23 July 2026 12

Derbyshire

Reform Derbyshire council dismisses recommendation to restore opposition Tory leader’s reduced allowance

Derbyshire County Council’s Reform UK administration has dismissed an independent panel’s recommendation to restore the opposition Conservative Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance after the council had previously won a vote to reduce it by £6,280 for the current financial year. The controlling Reform UK councillors deployed their majority to win a vote at a full council meeting on July 15 to uphold the reduction to opposition Conservative Group Leader Cllr Alex Dale’s SRA despite the recent findings of an Independent Remuneration […]

22 July 2026 19

Belper's Ada Belfield care home residents joined the campaign to stop the proposed sale of the home which is subject to Derbyshire County Council changes to care services. Picture courtesy of Belper Together.

Borough Wide

Derbyshire campaigners call for update over delayed council plans to sell care home operation

Campaigners opposed to the planned sale of a Derbyshire County Council care home operation are pressing the authority for an update after it confirmed three months ago that negotiations were underway with an interested party to take over the running of the facility. The Reform UK-controlled council’s planned sale of eight of its care homes to a single provider collapsed and led to their closure but the authority confirmed in April that negotiations with an ‘established care provider’ were underway […]

14 July 2026 10

Derbyshire

Reform UK’s cost-cutting “DOGE” team shows no intention to visit to tackle County Council budget issues

Reform UK’s cost-cutting “DOGE” team has not made any indication it is interested or intends to visit Derbyshire to tackle its budget issues. It has now been more than a year since Reform UK were handed the keys to Derbyshire County Council, including flagship pledges around “DOGE” – in a bid to achieve Government efficiency. In that time, the administration has retitled the role of finance cabinet member to include “DOGE” and the word efficiency, adopted by postholder Councillor John […]

14 July 2026 19

Derbyshire

Reform UK-led County Council dubbed “fascists” after slashing opposition leader pay without evidence or justification

Reform UK’s Derbyshire administration has been dubbed “fascists” after a report found they slashed the pay of the opposition leader with a complete lack of any evidence or justification. In March, at Derbyshire County Council’s full council meeting, the Reform UK administration brought in a last-minute move to cut the pay of the opposition group’s leader, Conservative Councillor Alex Dale, from £18,840 to £12,560 – a reduction of £6,280. At the time, Reform leader Councillor Alan Graves, who has an […]

9 July 2026 6

Derbyshire

SEND, social care, and road maintenance remain significant challenges for County Council officials

Children with special education needs, social care and road maintenance continue to pose significant challenges, despite signs of progress, say Derbyshire council officials. A new report shows that at the end of the last financial year, Derbyshire County Council – run by Reform UK – finished with a slight underspend of £2 million – 0.25 percent of its £792 million budget. Councillor John Lawson, Reform’s cabinet member for finance, welcomed this news with positivity and caution, saying while it was […]

6 July 2026 5

Derbyshire County Council

Cost of new Derby A50 junction surges to over £89 million with work yet to start

Plans for large gnome statue on Ilkeston traffic island take a diminutive step forward

County Council Cabinet asked (30th July) to approve plans to protect the environment and benefit communities

Derbyshire County Council plans to roll out ‘red carpet’ strategy for film industry boost to the county

Reform Derbyshire council dismisses recommendation to restore opposition Tory leader’s reduced allowance

Derbyshire campaigners call for update over delayed council plans to sell care home operation

Reform UK’s cost-cutting “DOGE” team shows no intention to visit to tackle County Council budget issues

Reform UK-led County Council dubbed “fascists” after slashing opposition leader pay without evidence or justification

103.5 & 96.8 FM

LOVE MUSIC

LOVE EREWASH