FAQs about the One Derbyshire, two councils proposal
Derbyshire’s eight district and borough councils submitted a joint interim proposal to Government in March 2025.
Working with the other district and borough councils, we have done some further work to develop a proposal for consultation with the public. Our proposal would see Derbyshire's 10 existing councils be replaced by two new authorities:
- A council for northern Derbyshire.
- A council for southern Derbyshire.
Under the proposal, each of the two new councils will deliver all services in their local area.
There are three possible options for how the area currently covered by Amber Valley Borough Council could be included in the new structure: placed entirely in the northern council, entirely in the southern council, or with different parishes joining each of the two councils, depending on where they may best fit. More details can be found on the Future of councils in Derbyshire page.
You can read our One Derbyshire, two councils information booklet for more information about what’s happening, what’s being proposed and how you can have your say on the plans.
This is a complex issue, but our key priority is to make sure the needs of our communities are met – proposing new councils that:
- keep councils connected to local people – big enough to deliver but close enough to listen and respond to local needs
- can provide effective and value for money services – and the staff and funding to continually improve the services residents receive
- protect Derbyshire’s historic boundaries in terms of the area councils cover – including the city of Derby, which is a key centre of economic growth
- meet the Government’s criteria for reorganisation – if we don’t, or where agreement can’t be reached, Government has indicated it will impose a solution that they think works best for Derbyshire.
Big enough to deliver but close enough to listen and respond to local needs
Derbyshire stretches from the borders of Manchester to Leicestershire, encompassing diverse communities from rural Peak District villages to market towns and the city of Derby.
Our approach recognises that local services cannot be one-size-fits-all. Two councils will be large enough to deliver efficiently whilst remaining close enough to our communities to understand and meet local needs.
The two new councils will collaborate where it makes sense to do so but can also tailor services to the needs of the local the areas they serve.
Opportunities for savings
Early forecasts suggest this restructure could save between £56m - £93m*over five years through:
- reduced duplication of services
- fewer council buildings
- fewer councillors and senior managers
- better economies of scale.
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.
Maintains Derbyshire’s historic border
Our proposal protects Derbyshire’s historic boundaries in terms of the area councils cover – including the city of Derby, which is a key centre of economic growth.
Creates new opportunity for our future
At a strategic level, reorganisation offers opportunities to:
- eliminate artificial boundaries that can hamper service delivery
- create stronger local leadership with enhanced capacity for transformation and modernisation
- develop more strategic approaches to economic development, regeneration and county-wide infrastructure development
- improve coordination between local services and external partners
- strengthen Derbyshire's voice in regional and national forum.
The new councils will also be able to work more efficiently with the new East Midlands Mayor and East Midlands Combined County Authority, which guides large-scale investment across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Meets Government criteria
Importantly, this approach also meets the Government’s criteria for reorganisation – if councils don’t come up with a viable proposal for their areas, the Government has indicated it will impose (through legislation) a solution that it thinks will work for Derbyshire.
Leaders of the district and borough councils, together with Derby City Council, have been working together in response to the Government’s request for proposals for local government reorganisation.
A range of potential options were explored and assessed in line with our priority to put people and places first, along with the Government’s criteria for reorganisation.
We believe the proposal and options we have set out put us in the strongest position to create councils which are big enough to deliver, but close enough to listen and respond to our communities.
Derbyshire County Council submitted a separate initial proposal to the Government in March 2025, which would also see Derbyshire split into two unitary councils – one new council covering all of Derbyshire (except Derby city), and the current Derby City Council. This was submitted before the change in the political administration at the county council in May 2025 and, at the time of writing, their formal position is unclear.
Initial estimates suggest that the one-off costs to move services and set up the two new councils could be between £15m - £25m*. This will be funded from a mix of existing council reserves and Government support.
*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.
Each of the two new councils would provide all council services to their area, rather than being split between the two tiers of local government as currently happens.
If you live in a borough or district, where services are split between a district or borough and the county council, it means your services will ultimately be provided by a single ‘unitary’ council.
If you live in Derby, all your services will continue to be provided by a single council, but the area covered by the council might change.
We are committed to ensuring councils have a strong and visible presence in their communities. However, there will definitely be opportunities to rationalise our assets including council offices and we will consider this as part of the development of our plans.
The new councils would not take over until April 2028 and it’s too early to say what would happen then as many other factors affect levels of Council Tax.
Council services have an impact on the everyday lives of people and organisations across our communities – and it’s important that local people have a say about how these services are delivered in the future.
You can have your say in our public consultation running between Monday 30 June and Sunday 10 August 2025. Your views will be used to shape our final proposal to the Government in November 2025.
Our consultation seeks views from people across the whole of Derbyshire, including residents, businesses, and our workforce, as well as the various partner organisations and community / voluntary groups that we routinely work with.
Once a proposal has been submitted, it will be for the Government to decide on whether it should be taken forward and there will be a further statutory consultation at that time. This will likely take place mid to late 2026.