One council to rule us all?

REFORM PUT FORWARD NEW PROPOSAL THEY SAY WOULD ‘UNITE DERBYSHIRE AND ‘CULL HUNDREDS OF POLITICIANS’

- By EDDIE BISKNELL

THE Reform UK-run Derbyshire County Council is bidding to have just one council covering the whole of the county and city to save more money and have fewer politicians.

After a separate public consultation from the district and Derby City Council, the county council is publishing its own local government reorganisation bid.

This would see the current 10 councils abolished and replaced in 2028 with just one new authority covering more than one million people.

This pitch runs against the rival bids from the city council and eight districts, which are all backing a north-south split into two new authorities with differing options regarding where Amber Valley will end up.

The districts and city aim to have 162 councillors between the two new authorities while the county's plan would have 112 elected members - both representing a huge reduction from the existing 447 councillors.