Derby City Council and eight Derbyshire district and borough councils have proposed splitting the county into two unitary authorities, claiming it could save up to £93 million over five years at a one-time cost of up to £25 million.
Their plan, now under review by individual councils, outlines two options: one placing Amber Valley in a northern council with High Peak, Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire, and Bolsover, while the southern council would include Derby, Erewash, and South Derbyshire. The second option moves Amber Valley to the south, keeping other districts unchanged.
Under either scenario, the northern council would face a financial deficit—£1.5 million if Amber Valley is included and £1.3 million if it is not—while the southern council would operate at a surplus of £8.6 million or £8.4 million, depending on Amber Valley’s placement.
The North council’s debts would range from £542 million to £560 million, while the South council’s debts would be between £811 million and £829 million. The plan would also cut the number of councillors from 447 across 10 councils to 148 across two, with each councillor representing 5,500 residents.
The Derbyshire County Council is working on a competing proposal without district involvement and claims its plan could save £133 million over five years, but it has not yet released full details. Initially, the county council suggested a single unitary authority for all of Derbyshire, but it later clarified it is pursuing a model with one council for the county and Derby remaining separate.
The district councils’ proposal will be submitted for initial review on 21 March, with a public consultation to follow later this year and a final submission in November.
