Today’s announcement by the Government confirms that the whole of the Derbyshire Dales District is set to form part of a proposed Northern Derbyshire authority, alongside High Peak, North East Derbyshire, Bolsover, Chesterfield and parts of Amber Valley.
Following last year’s proposal from the Reform UK administration at Derbyshire County Council to place Ashbourne and the villages to its south into a Southern authority with Derby, local Conservatives campaigned strongly against that option, and indeed against any proposal that would divide our communities in this way. Thousands of residents signed our local petition.
While we remain opposed to the Government imposing local government reorganisation, if change is to happen we have consistently argued that the best approach would be one that respects the existing county and city boundaries, preserves Derbyshire’s historic identities and provides the smoothest possible transition to two new councils.
The Labour Government has no electoral mandate for this sweeping reorganisation of local government. Decisions affecting local communities should remain as close as possible to the people they serve. Local identity and accountability must not be lost in the process.
The proposed Northern authority will cover a vast geographical area, bringing together large rural communities. This raises significant questions about how services will be delivered effectively across such a large area.
We also recognise the concerns of residents in Hilton and Hatton, within the Derbyshire Dales parliamentary constituency, who are proposed to become part of a Southern authority dominated by Derby. There is a genuine risk that the city’s housing and development pressures could increasingly be directed towards areas like ours.
As further details emerge, we will continue to stand up for the communities, identity and future of the Derbyshire Dales.
