High Peak Council unanimous in decision about new north and south authorities

High Peak Councillors have given the green light to a potential plan which will see the creation of two new unitary councils.

The councils will cover the north and south of Derbyshire, and will replace the current council and seven other district and borough councils across Derbyshire and Derby City Council.

The council agreed unanimously at an extraordinary meeting on March 19 at their Buxton headquarters, despite Derbyshire County Council’s desire for a single super-council unitary authority. 

Local authorities in two-tier areas like Derbyshire, that operate both county and district and borough councils, face an uncertain future with the Labour Government’s Local Government Reorganisation White Paper proposing setting up single, unitary authorities across England, with an elected mayor in counties, by merging or scrapping councils in two-tier authority areas. 

High Peak Borough Council Leader, Cllr Anthony McKeown, said:

“We weren’t expecting to have to reorganise ourselves before the White Paper landed, but that is what the Government wants, and so we have a duty to engage with the process and help shape what comes next – or risk having reorganisation imposed on us to the potential detriment of our residents. 

“Disappointingly and without any consultation with the other Derbyshire councils, Derbyshire County Council sought to delay its elections and went public with a plan for a Derbyshire-wide unitary that would absorb all the districts and boroughs and leave Derby on its current boundary and wholly surrounded, missing some of the requirements of any future proposals.       

“We don’t believe Derbyshire County Council’s plans for a single unitary council covering the whole of Derbyshire, excluding Derby, and serving a population of over 800,000 residents is the right approach. The organisation would be too large and too far removed from the diverse communities that we serve.     

“I am therefore delighted that High Peak councillors, unanimously, on a cross-party basis, have given the green light to submit the interim plan and continue to work with our district, borough and city partners towards a final proposal in November.”     

A consultation process is now due to seek the views of residents, businesses, community representations and public sector partners, with Cllr McKeown reassuring High Peak residents that their voice and input will be heard by neighbouring areas to help shape services that are provided to best meet local needs.

The Local Government reorganisation is expected to take place by April 2028, with Derbyshire’s eight district and borough councils affected being: Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire.