DCC January Report from your Lib Dem Group
UNITARY STATUS
There has been much noise about the Labour Governments declared plan to have unitaries with directly elected mayors across all of England. And they have invited Councils to step forwards with their plans and submissions.
The Conservatives at Derbyshire County Council have, with no meaningful consultation, with no consensus, and with no mandate, asked the Labour Government to imposed a Unitary Council for Derbyshire excluding the City of Derby.
This will have the effect of removing all District Councils, all Borough Council and chesterfield instead of having 48 Borough councillors and 8 County Councillors would, under these plans have just 7 Unitary Councillors and nothing else.
It would entirely sweep away all notion of local democracy.
You will be unsurprised to hear that we are opposing the way this is being done, the proposals itself and also lobbying for more time to work out what might be a better way forward.
Despite all of this, we expect the elections in May to go ahead.
As the Group Leader at the County Council I wrote to the appropriate Minister. Here is my letter in full.
Minister of State
(Local Government and Devolution)
Ministry of Housing, Communities,
and Local Government
2 Marsham Street
Westminster
London, SW1P 4DF
Cc. Emma Alexander, Chief Executive, Derbyshire County Council
Dear Minister,
I write regarding the policy paper English Devolution White Paper published 16th December 2024, which invites expressions of interest from local authorities by 10th January 2025.
Since your announcement there has been no formal discussion within the elected councillors in Derbyshire on the Governments proposals. However, I understand that the Leader of the Conservative Group may have written to you on this matter.
As councillors we felt it was important to make you aware that there has been no consultation within the Council. Previously when we created Vision Derbyshire (joint working with Boroughs and Districts) there was active dialogue with all Districts and Boroughs, when this progressed to a request for an East Midlands Mayoral Devolution Deal and to create EMMCCA (East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority) we had a sustained debate and discussion within Council and a resolution was agreed. This time? Nothing.
Further, the Mayor was only elected last year and with that devolution deal came a pledge from your own Department that it would not be followed by a local government re-organisation. This is not the time for you to renege on that pledge and to cancel our scheduled elections this May.
If a submission has been sent in that asks, calls or intimates that elections should be cancelled, that submission has not been agreed or authorised by Derbyshire County Council
In short, no consensus has been achieved by the Leader - he has acted alone and without support or agreement from the Council.
Please allow the Mayoral Devolution Deal to settle and achieve its goals and do not cancel the 2025 elections in Derbyshire. Cancellation is a cheap attempt by a failing and unpopular Conservative Administration at County Hall to undermine and subvert the role of the newly elected Labour Mayor of the East Midlands. Indeed when the Conservative Leader was not elected to a role in the Mayoral accountability structures, he immediately withdrew Derbyshire’s funding. At every stage the Conservative Leader of Derbyshire has sought to undermine and stymie the Mayoral Devolution Deal after he failed to secure his party’s nomination for the very role of Mayor.
Please, if Unitary status is to happen then enable Derbyshire to go through the due process and not be propelled into a fast track which it does not need. That fast track approach has not agreed and is only sought by a Conservative Leader wanting to cling onto power for another year by cancelling the elections.
I ask that you allow Derbyshire to vote in May 2025. Democracy delayed is democracy denied.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Cllr Ed Fordham
County Council, Smedley Street, Matlock, Derbyshire
MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL
There are few meetings now as the elections approach. The forthcoming dates are:
12th February (2 meetings due to Freeman Ceremony)
26th March
If anyone wishes to attend to get a further insight to the workings of the Council please do feel able to do so.
BUDGETARY DILEMMA
Somewhat stung by our criticisms amongst others the Leader of the Council announced the creation of a Budget Commission. This would be a deep dive into the issues facing the Council.
Accordingly a meeting was arranged - most of the senior officers attended - a presentation on adult care and care homes in particular.
The problem however, was that I was the only opposition councillor and Labour refused to attend or it suited them to be absent.
No further meetings of the Budget Commission have been scheduled and it would seem it has been revealed to be a stunt with no purpose.
The budget crisis facing the County Council under the Conservatives continues.
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