Proposed changes to councils in Derby and Derbyshire 2025

The way local councils in England are organised is being fundamentally changed for the first time in 50 years.

In places like Derbyshire, local services are currently delivered under what is known as a 'two-tier' council structure.

This means that some services are delivered by a borough or district council, and others are provided by Derbyshire County Council. Within Derbyshire, we also have Derby City Council which is a 'unitary' council providing all services to the communities it serves. Between them, these councils are responsible for a vast range of local services. The county council provides services like social care for children and adults, education services and highways, while district and borough councils are responsible for services such as bin collections, planning, and leisure centres.

Derby City Council provides all of these council services to the communities it serves. This structure dates back to 1974.

The way we live our lives has changed substantially since then, and the Government believes services could be delivered more efficiently and effectively by having fewer councils. In February 2025, the Government asked local councils to work together to draw up initial proposals for new organisations that are:

• Simpler in terms of how they are organised and more efficient

• Better value for money

• Closer to communities

• Able to deliver joined-up services. Derbyshire's eight district and borough councils submitted a joint interim proposal to Government in March 2025. Together with Derby City Council they propose to create two new councils to serve our communities – one in the north and one in the south.

Have your say Council services have an impact on the everyday lives of people and organisations across our communities – and it's important that local people have a say about how these services are delivered in the future. A public consultation is open from Monday 30th June to Sunday 10th August 2025 and will be used to shape our final proposal to the Government in November 2025.

More information can be found in the document below