Government Launches Consultation on Local Government Reorganisation in Derbyshire

The Government has today launched a statutory consultation on proposals to reorganise local government across Derbyshire.

This consultation is a formal, legally required process that must be carried out before the Government can make a final decision. It is separate from the public consultations held last summer by Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire’s district and borough councils, which helped shape the proposals submitted in November.

The Government is expected to seek views on five proposals.

Seven district and borough councils, together with the Leader of Derby City Council, submitted a “One Derbyshire, Two Councils” proposal. This would create two new unitary councils covering the whole county. Within this plan are four separate options, each suggesting a slightly different boundary between a northern and a southern council.

Derbyshire County Council submitted a separate proposal to create a single unitary council covering the whole of Derbyshire.

Residents, businesses and organisations across the county are encouraged to take part in this consultation. The results will help the Government understand local views before a final decision is made later this summer.

The consultation is open for seven weeks and closes on Thursday 26 March.

You can access the consultation online via the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Citizen Space platform under “Consultation on Proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Derbyshire and Derby”.

Printed copies are available at local libraries. If you require the consultation in an alternative format, please email AlternativeFormats@communities.gov.uk.

The Government has emphasised that councils must follow the Recommended Code of Practice for Local Authority Publicity. This means councils must remain objective and even-handed and must not promote a preferred option when communicating about the consultation.

Residents are encouraged to review the proposals and submit their views directly as part of this statutory process.