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If you want to vote in the Derbyshire County Council election in May, check you're registered so you don’t miss the chance.
 County council elections are being held on Thursday 1 May and residents will be able to elect councillors for all 64 seats for the first time in four years.
Don't miss out on the chance to decide who runs the council for the next four years and represent an estimated 811,500 people living in the county.
Check now whether you're registered to vote, and if not, make sure you are by midnight (11.59pm) on Friday 11 April. If you're not registered to vote by this time you won't be able to cast your vote on election day.
You now need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in all elections, and you can find out what is an accepted form of photo ID.
Those without up-to-date or accepted photo ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate to use as ID, up until 5pm on Wednesday 23 April.
You can also vote by post or by proxy (nominating someone to vote on your behalf) but you must still be registered to vote.
We’ve teamed up with Derby City Council in a new partnership aimed at supporting residents to quit smoking.
The new way of working will support our Live Life Better Derbyshire and the city’s Livewell stop smoking services to achieve Smokefree status by 2030..
By raising awareness of the support offered the new partnership hopes to create a healthier future for smokers who want to kick the habit. Last year, more than 3,000 people were helped to quit with our tailored support, individual quit plans and free quitting tools.
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What have beavers, black grouse, pine martens and red-backed shrike all have in common? They are all species that are rarely or never seen in Derbyshire…but that could all change in the future.
Along with partner organisations including Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, we have identified that the two species of bird, together with beavers and pine martens as wildlife with the greatest potential to be reintroduced in the city and county.
It's all part of work to draw-up the first ever Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Derby and Derbyshire – a plan for how councils, businesses, landowners, land managers and other organisations will work together to make sure nature and habitats on our doorsteps can thrive and survive.
You only have until Thursday (20 March) to have your say on the strategy. You can make your views known by filling in our consultation online.
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Do you visit your local library? Opening hours at Derbyshire libraries across the county are changing from the end of this month so we urge you to check the new times before visiting.
From Monday 31 March 2025 all 43 of our libraries will introduce the new opening hours timetable, and although slightly reduced, the revised hours have been tailored to ensure branches are open when most people regularly use them.
The changes are part of the implementation of the new Derbyshire Public Library Strategy, which is aimed at securing the future of county libraries.
All council-run libraries (not including two community-run libraries in Woodville and Tideswell) will reduce their opening hours by an average of 10%.
However, all libraries will be open for a time on Saturdays, with all but the smallest libraries also opening until 6pm once a week. No libraries will be open for less than 16 hours per week.
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A service was held at our Memorial Park Woodland at Grassmoor on Sunday 9 March 2025 to mark Covid-19 National Day of Reflection
Speeches to remember and honour local people who died of Covid-19 and to pay tribute to the work of the NHS during the pandemic were led by Elizabeth Fothergill CBE, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, and Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Councillor Barry Lewis.
The Memorial Park Woodland was specially created by us in 2021 as a sustainable tribute to those who died and a place for people to walk and remember those they lost, for years to come.
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Heanor Library has received £5,000 to develop a neurodiverse-friendly library, ensuring an inclusive and welcoming environment for neurodiverse visitors.
The funding, from Arts Council England and Libraries Connected, will support the introduction of measures to improve accessibility for neurodivergent children, adults and families.
Planned initiatives include staff training to better understand and meet the needs of autistic visitors, sensory-friendly resources, improved visual aids such as clear library signage and a map of the library.
It will also be offering inclusive events that are tailored to the needs of neurodivergent visitors such as craft events and story times.
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Are you a Derbyshire business-owner looking to take innovation to the next level?
Book a place at our FREE event being held in partnership with East Midlands Chamber to:
- Gain practical strategies to integrate innovation into your business processes
- Learn from industry leaders and innovation experts
- Network with like-minded professionals committed to advancing business success.
Whether you're a start-up seeking to disrupt the market, an established organisation looking to evolve or someone who has an idea for a new business solution or product, this session is for you.
Join us at Peak Edge Hotel, Chesterfield on Friday 21 March, 9.30am-12.15pm.
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Tree planting for Derbyshire's Heartwood Community Forest continues to the end of this month, with more than 38 hectares planted so far.
You can see some of the results in this short video clip, as well as more details about the area the community forest covers.
If you have land and are interested in free tree planting, we’d love to hear from you.
Grants are available through Derbyshire’s Heartwood, funded by the England's Community Forests Trees for Climate Fund, supported by Defra, to fund all costs including the costs of woodland creation and ongoing maintenance for up to 15 years.
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