Fears of 'predatory plan' to hive off high value communities

AMBER Valley councillors are aiming to fend off “predatory” moves to hive off its high-value housing areas or lump it with more homes in a local government reshuffle.

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The borough is cemented as the pivot point for a council reshuffle in Derbyshire and now most of its councillors want the area housed in a new northern authority.

At an Amber Valley Borough Council meeting on Wednesday night, a majority of councillors voted to support a plan for the area to join a northern Derbyshire council along with High Peak, Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire.

There was distinct discomfort among councillors over an option which would see the borough split in half along parish lines with Duffield, Kirk Langley and Quarndon moved into the southern Derbyshire council.

The eight borough and district councils, along with Derby City Council, have put forward three options for a local government reshuffle which would see 10 authorities scrapped and replaced with two new ones.

Cllr Chris Emmas-Williams, Labour leader, made clear his preference for Amber Valley to move into the northern council in an interview with the Derby Telegraph.

The other options involve the borough joining a southern council with Derby or being split in half between north and south.