Councillors approve interim plan for North Derbyshire and South Derbyshire councils

High Peak councillors have given their backing to an interim plan that could see the Council, seven other district and borough councils across Derbyshire and Derby City Council all disappear and be replaced by two unitary councils covering the north of Derbyshire and south of Derbyshire.

They were discussing devolution and local government reorganisation at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council called to consider an interim submission, which was held in Buxton last night (19 March).

It followed last December's publication by the Government of a White Paper on English Devolution, which included a commitment to abolish all the remaining districts, boroughs, county councils and some small unitary authorities and devolve powers to parts of England currently without a Strategic Authority and/or an elected mayor.

Leaders and chief executives of Derbyshire's councils have been considering how best to reorganise themselves to meet the Government's criteria since a letter from Minister Jim McMahon was received in February setting out the criteria. Interim plans need to be submitted to the Government by tomorrow (21 March), setting out progress made to date and initial thoughts on reorganisation.

Finalised proposals need to be submitted by 28 November.

High Peak Borough Council Leader, Councillor Anthony McKeown, said: "We weren't expecting to have to reorganise ourselves before the White Paper landed, but that is what the Government wants, and so we have a duty to engage with the process and help shape what comes next - or risk having reorganisation imposed on us to the potential detriment of our residents.

"Disappointingly and without any consultation with the other Derbyshire councils, Derbyshire County Council sought to delay its elections and went public with a plan for a Derbyshire-wide unitary that would absorb all the districts and boroughs and leave Derby on its current boundary and wholly surrounded, missing some of the requirements of any future proposals.

"We decided to take the time to explore a range of possible options with our neighbours, considering 15 options before reaching the two recommended in the interim plan.

"We don't believe Derbyshire County Council's plans for a single unitary council covering the whole of Derbyshire, excluding Derby, and serving a population of over 800,000 residents is the right approach. The organisation would be too large and too far removed from the diverse communities that we serve.

"I am therefore delighted that High Peak councillors, unanimously, on a cross-party basis, have given the green light to submit the interim plan and continue to work with our district, borough and city partners towards a final proposal in November.

"Work will now continue to develop the proposal further, including stakeholders and residents having the chance to have their say before November's submission; and work undertaken to ensure that either as part of East Midlands County Combined Authority or any new unitary councils, our voice and input is heard by those neighbouring areas, to shape those services that are provided to us to best meet local needs."

Local government reorganisation is expected to see new unitary councils replace existing councils from April 2028. For High Peak Borough Council, this will also end its successful 15-year-old alliance with neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

Note to Editors

Full papers for the Extraordinary Meeting, including the Interim Plan document, can be found here

Published 20 March 2025