The extent of those changes will depend on what the government decides and so it's too early to say exactly what that means for the services you deliver.
We know this may feel like an uncertain time but we want to make sure all colleagues feel supported throughout the process so that we can all continue to provide good quality services for residents in the meantime, as well as support you as we move towards working for a unitary council or councils – whatever the outcome may be.
Here are some key topics which may help to answer some of the questions colleagues might have about:
- the LGR process
- proposals submitted to government
- what happens next
- how colleagues might be affected
About the LGR process
You can find out what local government reorganisation is and why it's happening.
Population size
As a guiding principle, government has said that the population size of new councils should be 500,000 or more. The government has confirmed that this figure is not a target and there should be flexibility. You can read more on the LGA website.
Government powers
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 granted power for the Secretary of State to issue the statutory invitation to councils to submit proposals for local government reorganisation.
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is being progressed through parliament. Once parliamentary stages in both Houses are complete and the bill receives royal assent, it will become an act. The act will formalise arrangements for devolution and LGR and will give the Secretary of State the power to impose LGR on areas, even where there is no support for a preferred option.
Assessing proposals
The government will use the following criteria to assess proposals which have been submitted:
- Simple structures over a credible geography.
- Right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.
- Prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services.
- Meet local needs and is informed by local views.
- Support devolution arrangements.
- Enable strong community engagement and deliver genuine opportunity for neighbourhood empowerment.
The government isn't prioritising any of these points more highly than the others.
Proposals submitted to government
National government is inviting local people and organisations to give their views on 5 proposals for reorganising councils in Derby and Derbyshire. The proposals were submitted to the government in November last year:
- our proposal is to create a single unitary council covering the whole of Derby and Derbyshire. You can read more about the advantages of a one council system for Derby and Derbyshire, or read our full proposal
- 7 of Derbyshire's 8 district and borough councils, together with Derby City Council, submitted a plan to create 2 new unitary councils to cover the whole of the county. This plan includes 4 separate proposals, which differentiate on the basis of where the boundary line between the northern and southern councils is drawn. To find out more, visit the One Derbyshire, Two Councils website
The government is currently carrying out a 7-week statutory consultation on the proposals. This is a formal, legally‑required process which must be carried out by the government before it can make a final decision on which proposal to support.
Take part in the government's consultation and have your say. The closing date for comments is 26 March 2026.
What happens next
Final decision on LGR
Following the statutory consultation, the government will consider the 5 proposals before deciding which, if any, structure to implement in Derby and Derbyshire.
As the criteria is not weighted, the government has indicated that decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will take into account the available evidence and guidance covering issues such as size, sensible geographies, efficiencies, financial sustainability, public service delivery, community engagement, and devolution.
The final decision is due to be announced in summer 2026.
View the LGR timeline.
Elections
Once the government has decided whether to move forward with one or two councils for Derby and Derbyshire, local elections will be held to elect councillors to one or two new 'shadow' authorities. Elections are due to be held in May 2027.
We've suggested 112 elected members as a minimum across the whole area if our proposal for a single council is adopted, but it could be more.
Shadow authorities
Following local elections in May 2027 the new council or councils will operate 'in shadow', forming and growing in the background while the existing 10 councils – ourselves, Derby City and the district and borough councils – continue to run local services. A team of executives will be appointed to direct the work of the shadow council or councils. The shadow council or councils will officially take over from the existing ones on 1 April 2028.
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 council or 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 dependant 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
We don't yet know whether government will reorganise the existing councils in Derby and Derbyshire into one or two new councils. But no matter what the government decides, 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 council or 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 County Combined 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 authority, and then the new authority when it exists, to determine the new workforce(s) 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 a new council or 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 authority, and then the new council or 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
Changes to the way services are delivered in the future are likely to change and this may have an impact on the way the council is currently structured.
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 a new unitary authority. 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 that 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 council or councils can be fully operational from day one and that residents still receive the services they need and staff get paid from 1 April 2028. After that time the new council or councils may wish to make further efficiencies and changes which may affect the workforce and how it is structured. This will be for the new council or councils to decide.
Service planning
We have already began looking at what it could mean for some services if the government decides to adopt the views of the district, borough and city councils and split the county into 2 unitary councils. And we've also started to look at how district and borough services could be delivered countywide. This work will increase over the coming months and you may be asked by your manager to help contribute towards the 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 need to work together with district and borough council colleagues to decide what local services will look like in the future once a decision has been made about a new system of local government. Joint boards such as a Leaders Board and Chief Executives' Group will be set up to oversee this work.