Derbyshire Dales Conservatives are seeking residents’ views on a major shake-up to how the area will be governed with concerns that our District could be split. Ashbourne and villages to its south could be in a new council with Derby City, thanks to a potential option put forward by Reform UK in Derbyshire.
Local residents are concerned about how this plan would deliver local services and how budgets would be shared with Derby City.
The backdrop to this is that the Labour Government are imposing local government reform on Derbyshire. This means that local County, District and Borough councils will become a one-tier system.
Prior to the recent Derbyshire County Council elections, local Conservatives made it clear that a “Keep Derbyshire Together” approach would be best. This would have kept existing boundaries intact, with the City keeping its existing authority and the County becoming a single unitary authority.
Reform UK were elected to run County Hall and, having not told residents their position on this in Derbyshire prior to the election, have now put forward an option which would split up the District of Derbyshire Dales.
Whilst most of the District would go into a new Northern Derbyshire authority, Ashbourne and villages to the south would be in a Southern Derbyshire authority.
This would result in Ashbourne being alongside Derby City, Erewash, parts of Amber Valley and the existing South Derbyshire.
Ashbourne and our villages have never been suggested to be part of an authority with Derby City previously.
You can see below that Fenny Bentley and Hulland Ward would be in the Northern council.
The town of Ashbourne has its own history and identity, as do all our amazing villages from Wyaston to Brailsford and beyond. Would being in with Derby affect this? Would services be better delivered from a larger authority?
We are concerned resources could be swallowed up by Derby with our rural villages and town of Ashbourne unable to compete for resources. Yet again, it feels like this Labour Government has got it in for rural areas. But now the local Reform UK-led Derbyshire County Council are piling in.
The new authority would also be in charge of planning and already residents are expressing concerns on this issue. Conservatives in Derbyshire Dales want our area to keep its unique character and a clear wedge between our villages and the City of Derby. Already housing targets have been increased in Derbyshire Dales, whilst being cut in many cities.
Derbyshire Dales Conservatives feel that residents should have their say on such a major change to which the area will be governed.
Please have your say below.