LGR Decision
A decision on local government reorganisation (LGA) for Derbyshire has been announced today – Thursday 16 July 2026.
Here is a message to staff from our Chief Executive Neil Crittenden:
Dear colleagues,
The government has today formally confirmed its final decision on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) for Derbyshire.
Derbyshire County Council, along with the nine other councils across Derby and Derbyshire, will be replaced by two new unitary councils – one for the north and one for the south.
This means the services we currently provide across Derbyshire will transfer to one of two new councils. A new north Derbyshire council will serve residents in Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, while a new south Derbyshire council will serve residents in Erewash, South Derbyshire and Derby.
Amber Valley will be split between the two new councils.
What this means for you
I understand that this change may bring uncertainty, and I want to reassure you of the following:
- There are no immediate changes to your role or responsibilities – The vital work you do in delivering essential services for our residents will continue throughout this transition and beyond, through the new council.
- You will be kept informed – There’s still a lot of work to do, and we won’t have all the answers immediately. We are committed to keeping you updated throughout the transition by being open and honest about what we know, what we don't yet know, and what happens next.
- We will support you – There will be established processes to support you through the transition to a new organisation, alongside ongoing wellbeing support.
What this means for our services
- Council services will continue to operate as normal throughout the transition period.
- Our priority remains delivering high-quality services to residents while planning for the new council.
What happens next
Today’s decision means the new authorities will launch on 1 April 2028 – subject to Parliamentary approval – when county, city, borough and district councils will no longer exist.
We now have the opportunity to work with our district, borough and city council colleagues to shape how services will be delivered across Derbyshire in the future.
Wellbeing support
We recognise that change affects everyone differently. Supporting your wellbeing will remain a priority throughout this process, and we encourage anyone with concerns to speak to their manager and access the support available.
Information about wellbeing support and resources is available through the Our Derbyshire website.
Looking ahead
For most colleagues, there are unlikely to be any immediate changes before vesting day – the day when the new councils officially take over. Our priority continues to be delivering high-quality services to our residents throughout this transition.
Thank you for your continued professionalism and dedication during this period of change.
Kind regards,
Neil Crittenden
About LGR
Local government reorganisation, or LGR for short, is changing the way local councils operate in areas which have a 2-tier system of county and district or borough councils.
For Derby and Derbyshire, it means reducing the existing 10 councils – us, Derby City Council and 8 district and borough councils – to fewer new unitary councils with responsibility for all services in their area instead.
A decision from government on LGR in Derbyshire is expected by the end of this month. At this stage, we're only expecting to learn how many new councils there will be and what their boundaries could look like. More detailed information about how the changes will be implemented will follow later.
We know there's a lot to take in and you may have questions about what LGR will mean for you and your job. We'll continue to share updates as soon as there's anything to report.
That's why we've set up the LGR Hub as a one-stop shop for everything you need to know and all the latest updates.
You can find out more about what local government reorganisation is all about.
You can also check to see what's happening when.
Find out what local government reorganisation means for you at work.
Uniting Derbyshire
You may remember that last summer we asked you, the public and other stakeholders for views about introducing 2 new councils in Derby and Derbyshire – one for the north of the county and one for the south including Derby City.
We listened to feedback and carried out detailed and independent expert analysis of the benefits, costs and risks of splitting the county into 2 councils by measuring their effectiveness against a single-council option.
Taking everything into account, we think that the best option is a single unitary council for the whole of Derby and Derbyshire.
This proposal was considered at a meeting of our Full Council on 13 November 2025 and the final version was formally approved by Cabinet on 27 November 2025. We submitted our final proposal to the government on 28 November 2025.
You can read our final proposal in full.
Other proposals
Seven of Derbyshire's district and borough councils, and Derby City Council, submitted a separate plan to create 2 new unitary councils to cover the whole of the county, with one in the north and one in the south. To find out more, visit One Derbyshire, Two Councils.
Keeping you up-to-date
We want all colleagues to feel well-informed about LGR and we'll be using a range of channels to keep you up-to-date over the coming months. Find out what you told us.