Council Approves New Future for Local Government in Derbyshire

Derbyshire County Council has approved ambitious plans for the future of local government in the county.

The ground-breaking plans include the establishment of an East Midlands Combined Authority to ensure the region is on an equal footing to the West Midlands and Greater Manchester.

In addition, the council has given, in an approach known as Vision Derbyshire, a commitment to work with district and borough councils to achieve the best possible deal for residents, communities, and businesses. If a deal cannot be achieved with Vision Derbyshire either through all the involved councils not agreeing to the changes that must happen, or because the Government requires a different solution, the county council will seek to establish a single unitary authority covering the whole of Derbyshire.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said councils across the county could now move forward.

“It is vital that Derbyshire and the wider East Midlands region does not miss the opportunity to address historic funding inequalities and is at the front of the queue for much-needed investment.

“Local authorities across Derbyshire have worked tirelessly over the last 18 months to build a new approach to local authority governance. At the heart of all of our efforts is a commitment to achieving the best possible results for Derbyshire’s people, communities, and businesses.

“If we do not act decisively now we will likely miss the once in a generation opportunity before us and may have no say in what happens to our county and how it is governed. We, in Derbyshire, need to be masters of our own future.”

The proposals can be viewed online on the Derbyshire County Council website.