Derbyshire council mergers fail to win support

The report was commissioned by local authorities, including Derby City Council

A plan to merge Derby and Derbyshire's 10 councils to form two new unitary authorities appears to have failed to win widespread support.

Of the 7,335 people who responded to a survey, 45% said they were against the 10 existing councils being reduced to two, while 39% were in favour. The remainder were unsure.

The consultation was promoted by the city council and all of Derbyshire's districts and boroughs.

The mergers are considered likely to go ahead regardless of any local opposition, with Derby City Council saying a lack of local agreement would "not be a barrier to progress".

Opposition to the mergers was strongest in South Derbyshire, where 62% of people expressed their opposition.

Just 32% of people in Derby were opposed to the idea.

A nationwide shake-up of local government was announced in 2024, with councils instructed to work together to come up with a simplified structure.

A report by Public Perspectives, a consultancy firm employed by Derby and Derbyshire's existing councils, said the results suggested people in Derby were more likely to feel the existing arrangements would benefit from reform.

It also suggested the strong reluctance to reform among people in South Derbyshire might represent a feeling that the area "may not be served as well" by a council centred in Derby.

Derby City Council said the reduction to two new authorities for the whole of Derby and Derbyshire represented the best balance between "maintaining local identity" and the need for efficiency savings.

The exact boundaries of the two new authorities have yet to be decided, with several options likely to be submitted to government.

The government intends for elections to the new councils to take place in May 2027, before powers are formally handed over in 2028.

Local government is due to get its biggest shake-up in decades

A spokesperson for Derbyshire's city, district and borough councils said the mergers would "significantly transform" how services are delivered in Derbyshire.

They said: "The people and places of our historic county are at the heart of our proposal, and our shared vision will see a future where services are simpler, communities feel supported, and every part of our county thrives.

"We will unify Derbyshire's current patchwork of policy, planning, and funding – paving the way for joined up decision-making and localised support to better serve local needs."

Derbyshire County Council has held its own consultation on similar proposals, the results of which are expected to be published in early November.