What you need to know now
- Most colleagues are unlikely to be directly affected before April 2028 when the two new unitary councils replace the existing councils.
- No decisions have been made yet about office locations, pay or terms and conditions.
- Services will continue to operate as normal while planning for the new councils takes place.
- We will share regular updates as more information becomes available.
- Support is available if you have any concerns or questions.
What is happening
On 16 July 2026, the government formally confirmed its final decision, announcing that Derbyshire County Council, along with the nine other councils across Derby and Derbyshire, will be replaced by two new unitary councils covering the north and south of the county.
This means the services we currently provide across Derbyshire will transfer to one of two new councils, when they launch on 1 April 2028.
What happens next
- 2026-2027 - Planning work will continue across the existing councils to prepare for the transition to the new authorities.
- May 2027 - Elections for new unitary councils take place and will be set up in 'shadow' form.
- May 2027-March 2028 - The shadow authorities begin operating while existing councils continue delivering services.
- 1 April 2028 - The new unitary councils become operational.
How colleagues might be affected
Preparing for LGR
The vast majority of staff won't be affected until vesting day – the day when the new councils officially take over from existing ones on 1 April 2028. The aim of the transition will be to keep disruption to residents and colleagues as minimal as possible throughout the process.
This will be dependent on the department you work in and the type of job that you do. Some staff, for example, are already affected by LGR as they have been working on our proposal and will continue to support the authority in planning and managing the LGR change process. Other staff may simply receive a new ID badge in the future and carry on their role as usual.
We'll make sure that those most affected by LGR change are as involved and updated as possible throughout the process.
Job security
Existing councils will need to work together with the shadow authority – or authorities – to work out staffing arrangements.
We expect that many colleagues will be moved over to the new councils through a process known as TUPE – the standard legal process for transferring staff. This is the same process being used to move some colleagues over to work for the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA). We will keep you updated as and when we know more detail.
Pay
A significant element of the reorganisation process will be agreeing pay and terms and conditions of employment across the councils involved. We haven't started that work yet so can't give specifics on what this means for you, your service and where you work, but we will keep you informed.
It will be up to the shadow authorities, and then the new authorities when they exist, to determine the new workforce pay structure and ensure that this aligns fairly to people's roles and responsibilities.
Working for a new council
It's too early to say where in Derbyshire new councils would be based or where your work base might be in the future. This is yet to be decided.
You'll be working for a new council and this will mean an agreement will need to be reached with the new authority working closely with Trade Union colleagues on any changes to pay and terms and conditions of employment, which could include changes to your base location.
It will be up to the shadow authorities, and then the new councils when they exist, to determine how the new workforce is compensated for any impacts of changes to employment that result through the LGR process if there are any.
New structures
Many jobs at the district and borough council are different to jobs at the county council, but many of the types of roles are also quite similar. The reorganisation process will review all local authority functions with the aim of bringing councils together and having the most effective and efficient structures to provide local government services as new unitary authorities. As this work progresses, we will provide you with regular updates.
While the LGR process is new and this restructuring will be carried out more quickly and on a larger scale than anything the council has undertaken before, redesigning and rethinking how we work is not new and we have many processes and procedures for managing change.
The overall goal will be to ensure that the new councils can be fully operational from day one and that residents still receive the services they need and colleagues get paid from 1 April 2028.
Helping to shape the future
You may be asked by your manager to help contribute towards future planning for your service area.
You know your service area best, and we all have a key role to play in the reorganisation of local government in Derby and Derbyshire and we need your input to help to make the transition as smooth as possible.
We will work together with district and borough council colleagues to decide what local services will look like in the future.
Wellbeing and support
We understand that uncertainty can affect people in different ways. Please remember that it’s normal to have questions or concerns and support is available if you need it.
You can access:
Keeping you informed
We will continue to update colleagues as plans develop and decisions are made.
For now, it is important that we continue to focus on delivering excellent services for residents while working together with our local authority partners to plan for the future.
We are committed to keeping colleagues informed, listened to and supported throughout this journey.