County Council welcomes clarification on countywide reorganisation

Derbyshire County Council has welcomed the Secretary of State clarifying the position on countywide reorganisation.

Leader Councillor Barry Lewis said he was pleased to receive the letter from government which formally triggers the process for councils to submit plans to move to a single tier.

Subject to Derbyshire County Council approving a report next week at Full Council, the council will work with other local councils to formally submit its interim plans to government in March with a view to submitting a full proposal in November.

Although Councillor Lewis expressed disappointment that Derbyshire was not in the first wave of councils chosen to reorganise its two-tier structure, he remained excited about the possibilities for the county and for saving the residents of Derbyshire in excess of over £100m over the first five years.

He said: “Although the process is far from ideal happening within the election period and could be a distraction from the issues that matter to residents, we will work to ensure the best result for Derbyshire residents.”

Derbyshire currently has 8 'lower tier' district or borough councils and one 'upper tier' county council, each with their own elected councillors. Government also expects Derby City Council to be involved in discussions.

In December, the government announced that all two-tier councils should develop plans for reorganisation into a single tier. 

The reorganisation is the biggest reform of local government in over 50 years.

The move to one unitary council will benefit residents by helping to improve efficiency, reduce duplication and drive down costs in council services across Derbyshire.

Councillor Lewis added: “Across the nine Derbyshire councils, there are 400 councillors, nine chief executives, several costly headquarter buildings, and many cohorts of senior management and much duplication.

“Reorganisation will benefit residents by massively improving efficiency in local government and driving down costs by streamlining how we deliver services, as well as leading to greater opportunity for growth and prosperity.

“As a county, we’ve already shown our commitment to making effective change by successfully creating the first Mayoral Combined County Authority and this will open up new opportunities by strengthening our current devolution deal.

“Although we’re disappointed to not be in the first wave, this is still an enormous opportunity for Derbyshire and we’re excited about the possibilities and the potential for savings and streamlined services it presents.”

The government’s announcement included a decision for some councils to postpone their elections, however Derbyshire County Council’s elections will still take place on 1st May 2025.