 Dear Councillor,
Derbyshire, including Derby, is about to embark on its most significant restructure of local Government in 50 years.
The proposals would see the ten existing councils become two new unitary authorities by 2028, meaning a single-tier structure for local services for everyone in the city and county.
As part of this, we are embarking on a Derbyshire wide consultation to gather the views of residents, businesses, staff and stakeholders who will be affected by these changes.
The options:
Option A: A north / south split of the county, with Amber Valley being part of the northern council
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Northern council: Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, Chesterfield, Bolsover, North East Derbyshire (Population: 584,000)
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Southern council: Derby City, South Derbyshire, Erewash (Population: 494,000)
Option B: A north / south split of the county, with Amber Valley being part of the southern council
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Northern Council: High Peak, Derbyshire Dales, North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield, Bolsover (Population: 456,000)
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Southern Council: South Derbyshire, Erewash, Amber Valley, Derby City (Population: 622,000)
Option C: A north / south split of the county, with different parishes from Amber Valley joining each of the two councils, depending on where they best fit.
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Northern Council: High Peak, Derbyshire Dales, North East Derbyshire, Chesterfield, Bolsover (Population: 567,000)
(Joined by the following parishes of Amber Valley - Shipley, Heanor and Loscoe, Denby, Kilburn, Belper, Hazelwood, Shottle and Postern, Idridgehay and Alton, Ashleyhay, Alderwasley, Ripley, Codnor, Aldercar and Langley Mill, Ironville, Riddings, Somercotes, Alfreton, Swanwick, Pentrich, South Wingfield, Crich, Dethick, Lea, and Holloway.)
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Southern Council: Derby City, Erewash, South Derbyshire (Population: 511,000)
(Joined by the following parishes of Amber Valley - Kirk Langley, Mackworth, Kedleston, Ravensdale Park, Weston Underwood, Quarndon, Windley, Duffield, Holbrook, Horsley, Horsley Woodhouse, Smalley, Mapperley.)
Key Information on the Proposal & Consultation:
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The Proposal: Drawing on discussions among Derbyshire's eight district and borough councils, alongside Derby City Council, the proposal outlines replacing the current ten councils with two new unitary authorities. One council would serve the northern part of the county, and the other the south.
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Rationale: This reorganisation aims to streamline service delivery, reduce duplication, lower costs, and provide more cohesive and effective services for residents and businesses. It moves away from the current two-tier system (County/District & Borough) and the existing unitary model (Derby City) to a fully unitary structure across the county.
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Amber Valley Options: For clarity, three options are being consulted upon for Amber Valley Borough Council's inclusion: entirely within the northern council, entirely within the southern council, or the existing borough being divided between the two.
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Financial Outlook: Early forecasts cautiously suggest potential annual long-term savings between £53 million and £96 million* through reduced duplication, fewer buildings, and streamlined staffing.
*These figures are estimated using figures of similar Local Government Reorganisations. They do not take account of Derbyshire’s particular circumstances and are indicative only.
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Strategic Benefits: We believe this structure will enable more strategic approaches to economic development and regeneration, while fostering closer and more efficient collaboration with the new East Midlands Mayor and the East Midlands Combined County Authority.
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Local Identity: The proposal has been designed to maintain Derbyshire's historic border, including Derby City, while ensuring new councils are large enough for efficient service delivery yet close enough to respond to community needs.
Consultation Details and Next Steps:
The public consultation which launches today, Monday 30 June will run for six weeks until Saturday 10 August 2025. This is a crucial opportunity for residents, businesses, and organisations across Derbyshire to share their views, which will directly inform the final proposals.
Following the consultation, the timeline for the reorganisation process is as follows:
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Submission of Final Proposals to Government: By Friday, 28 November 2025.
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Government Review and Decisions: Summer 2026.
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Elections for Shadow Authorities (if approved): 2027.
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New Councils Operational (if approved): April 2028.
Your role and call to action:
Your engagement in this process, both personally and in encouraging your constituents to participate, is invaluable. We urge you to take part in the consultation yourself and share information to your communities.
Find out more and participate in the consultation:
The online questionnaire is designed to take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will be open until Sunday 10 August.
Hard copies or alternative formats (large print, British Sign Language etc.) of the questionnaire are available on request by contacting Public Perspectives by email: Derbyshire@publicperspectives.co.uk or Freephone: 0800 533 5386 (please leave a message and they will call you back).
We have created a stakeholder document to support the consultation, which goes into further detail about the proposal as well as the three options which are being considered. This can be downloaded on the council's website.
We are also speaking directly with a number of key stakeholders across the county, to ensure the views of partner organisations are captured.
Thank you for your support,
Jeremy Jaroszek, Chief Executive
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