While Derbyshire Dales District Council actively participated in shaping the proposal submitted last week by Derby City Council and Derbyshire's other seven districts and boroughs - to reduce the number of local authorities in Derbyshire from ten to two (one for northern Derbyshire and one for southern Derbyshire) - we have written separately to Steve Reed OBE MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The Letter to government [PDF] explains that due to Member concerns about the imposition of local government reform, a lack of confidence in the net positive benefits it will deliver to communities and the financial assumptions underpinning the case for change, Derbyshire Dales Members were unable to endorse the case for change ‘front end’ and therefore were not in a position to respond positively to the invitation to submit a proposal for local government reorganisation in Derbyshire.
However, in accordance with the resolution of Council, the letter made reference to the fact that should the Secretary of State be minded to progress with proposals for local government reorganisation in Derbyshire, the Council has identified a preferred option, which is Option A as a ‘base option’, requesting modification to Option A(A1) as outlined in the case or change submission.
This option would see Derbyshire Dales in the proposed northern authority, together with Bolsover, Chesterfield, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and Amber Valley parishes north of Belper. Our letter also advocates significantly increasing councillor representation in the two proposed unitary authorities beyond the levels indicated by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in the case for change submission.
