'Split Derbyshire in half with two new councils' - Derby and Derbyshire councils want 2 new north and south authorities
Derby and Derbyshire district councils are proposing a split of the county into two new authorities to enhance local accountability and efficiency.
Derby and Derbyshire’s district councils want the county to be split into two new authorities for the north and south, thinning the remaining competing options on the table.
The combined alliance of eight districts and boroughs plus the city are keen on retaining the geographic shapes of each area and avoid any being split to form new councils.
They have put forward two options for two new unitary councils for the north and south of the county.
The councils say the north and south layout with two councils provides the right balance between local accountability and the scale required by Government to have authorities containing a population of 500,000 people.
Option one leaves Amber Valley in the north of the county with the High Peak, Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and Bolsover while the south would contain Derby, Erewash and South Derbyshire.
This leaves North Derbyshire with a population of 575,736 and South Derbyshire with a 487,736 population.
Meanwhile, option two puts Amber Valley in the south of the county with the remaining districts retaining their same spots.
This leaves North Derbyshire with a population of 449,247 and South Derbyshire with a 614,059 population
These two options will now be discussed by all of the districts and city council later this month in time for the submission of interim proposals to Government on March 21.
Public consultation will take place over the spring and summer, the councils say, before final plans are submitted on November 28.
Amber Valley being in the North Derbyshire council provides the closest split in terms of population but the borough has historically shared a development plan deal with neighbouring Derby and South Derbyshire, which would lend to it being placed in the South Derbyshire council.
It joining the South Derbyshire council also encircles Derby with all its neighbouring districts, effectively expanding the city’s boundary in a more formal manner rather than on less direct lines including it taking a portion off each of its surrounding councils.
Derbyshire County Council remains outside of the talks on local government reorganisation and has formulated its own plan for two councils.
It wants one council for the current county council footprint and for Derby to remain separate in what has been dubbed the “doughnut” approach.
This leaves the Derbyshire council with a population of 796,846 and Derby with its existing 266,460 population.
This, the county says, achieves the most savings and allows the Derbyshire council authority to allow for more efficient services with less duplication.
It has launched a public consultation with one broad question: “To what extent do you support keeping the whole of Derbyshire together by creating a single unitary council?”
This phrasing could be read as one council for all of Derbyshire, including Derby, but that is not how it is intended. The county council wants to keep Derby separate but have one council for the Derbyshire County Council area – scrapping the districts and boroughs.
In short, the districts and city council do not agree with that plan because they feel it is heavily lopsided and does not provide as much local accountability.