Voters consider Derbyshire County Council's election candidates and issues just weeks before going to the polls

The county council has had to weather a number of financial struggles during recent years shared by many local authorities nationwide with hu ge external pressures from pay and price inflation, a continuing increase in cost and demand for services especially with children’s services and adult social care alongside concerns over Government funding settlements.

To balance its 2024-25 budget the council has had to introduce dramatic saving measures, cuts and closures to address multi-million pound budget deficits and further hard-hitting multi-million pound saving measures are expected for 2025-26 with proposals to convert its County Hall HQ into a hotel, offices and homes.

As a Labour candidate became the first East Midlands Mayor in 2024 and Labour MPs also seized control of all Derbyshire’s constituencies in last year’s General Election, County Hall became the last Conservative stronghold in the county.

The Tories have been in control at County Hall since 2017 and in their latest term they could boast 40 seats to Labour’s 15, Liberal Democrats’ four, Amber Valley Independents’ two, Independents’ two and to the Green Party’s one councillor.

But the Labour Government’s recent decisions may have taken the shine off the party’s success in Derbyshire with the imposition of winter fuel payment cuts for pensioners, an increase in employers’ national insurance payments, changes to inheritance tax affecting farmers, welfare cuts, and tax increases to address claims of a £22bn blackhole left by the former Conservative Government.

And it is still not clear how how these factors and the Government’s plans for Local Government Reorganisation may influence county council election voting with the possible introduction of unitary councils in two-tier county areas by replacing county and both district and borough councils altogether by 2028.

The devolution plans have already created a split between the current Derbyshire County Council administration calling for a one single unitary council system while the county’s district and borough councils are calling for a north and south two-layer unitary authority.

Meanwhile any newly-crowned county councillors after May 1 may subsequently be expected to only serve two-year terms instead of four with the Government hoping for unitary mayoral elections to happen by 2027 with the first newly-changed councils to be running by 2028.

However, countywide voters will be mainly concerned with the county council’s service responsibilities in their decision-making which include schools, roads, waste and recycling, care for older and vulnerable people and safeguarding children.

Derbyshire people will be going to the polls to vote for their preferred candidates in their area divisions as the 353 candidates aim to seize one of 64 available seats representing 64 divisions across the county.

Newly agreed changes to divisional boundaries mean Derbyshire county’s 2025 election will also be the first where the council has had 64 divisions instead of 61 with all but three areas seeing their boundaries redrawn and almost all divisions gaining new names.

The candidate lists show that the Conservatives, Labour and Reform UK have selected candidates for all 64 seats, with the Liberal Democrats competing in all but eight and the Green Party contesting all but 12 divisions.

Among the candidates are 36 independents, six members of Chesterfield Independents, six members of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, two members of Belper Independents, one National Front member and one Homeland Party member.

Derbyshire has also seen a number of defections in recent times at district councils from other more traditional parties to Reform UK which is well represented among candidates in the up-and-coming county election.

Some of the key battles to be fought out include a number of contests involving current councillors from the last four-year term including Conservative County Council Leader Barry Lewis, opposition Labour Group Leader Cllr Joan Dixon and opposition Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Ed Fordham.

North East Derbyshire District Council will administer the election for eight county council seats in its region including; Clay Cross and Tupton; Dronfield and Unstone; Dronfield Woodhouse and Walton; Eckington and Coal Aston; Killamarsh and Renishsaw; North Wingfield, Pilsely and Morton; Shirland and Wingerworth South; And Sutton.

Current Conservative County Council Leader, Cllr Barry Lewis, is standing for the Shirland and Wingerworth South seat against Labour’s Bob Cushing, Green Party’s Frank Adlington-Stringer, Independent Heather Liggett and Reform UK’s Paul Parkin.

Also in North East Derbyshire, Conservative County Cllr Alex Dale, who has been the Cabinet Member for Education, will be contesting Dronfield and Unstone against Labour’s Jonathan Williams, Liberal Democrat Simon Temple, Green Naila Dracup, Independent Michael Dungworth and Reform UK’s Louis Hutchinson.

Labour County Councillor Kevin Gillott will also be trying to retain his seat under the newly named North Wingfield, Pilsley and Morton division against Conservative Richard Embrey, Independent David Hancock, Green Rowan Adlington and Reform UK’s Darren Muizelaar.

Chesterfield Borough Council will oversee elections for the eight county council seats in the Chesterfield borough based on the new county boundaries including; Brimington; Dunstan; Hasland and Rother; Linacre and Loundsley Green; Spire; Staveley; Staveley North and Whittington; And Walton, Brampton and Boythorpe.

County Cllr Carolyn Renwick, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, will compete for the Staveley North and Whittington division against Liberal Democrat County Cllr Barry Bingham, Labour’s Allan Ogle, Green Simon Swift, Independent Martin Hibbert, Chesterfield Independent Rose Clark and Reform UK’s Mark Cliff.

Opposition Liberal Democrat Group Leader at the county council, Cllr Ed Fordham, will be contesting the Spire division against Conservative Swaroop Krishnan Surendranathan Pillai, Labour’s Ludwig Ramsey, Chesterfield Independent Alan Heathcote, Green’s Vicky Noble, and Reform UK’s Caz Smyth.

Opposition Labour County Cllr Anne-Frances Hayes is hoping to retain the Staveley division seat when she goes up against Conservative Andy Jervis, Liberal Democrat Paul Jacobs, Independent Paul Mann, further Independent Mick Bagshaw, Green Louis Hollingworth, and Reform UK’s Dawn Abbott.

Bolsover District Council is administering elections for six county council seats including: Barlborough and Clowne; Bolsover; Elmton with Creswell and Whitwell; Hardwick; Shirebrook and Pleasley; And finally South Normanton and Pinxton.

Conservative County Cllr Natalie Hoy, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, is standing for the Elmton with Creswell and Whitwell seat against Labour’s Mick Yates, Independent Cris Carr, Green Joanna Collins, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition’s Elaine Evans, and Reform UK’s Roy Hallett.

Opposition Labour Group Leader County Cllr Joan Dixon will be contesting the Bolsover seat against Conservative Will Fletcher, Liberal Democrat Dorothy Hobbs, Green Party’s Mike Noble, Reform UK’s Carol Wood, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition’s Jon Dale and the Homeland Party’s Tom Batten.

High Peak Borough Council is administering elections for eight county council seats including; Buxton North and East; Buxton South and West; Chapel and Hope Valley; Etherow; Glossop North; Glossop South; New Mills and Hayfield; And Whaley Bridge.

County Cllr Nigel Gourlay, who was elected to the county council as a Conservative before being suspended and reappointed is now sitting as an Independent but he is listed as a Local Conservatives candidate contesting the Chapel and Hope Valley Division against Labour’s Sally De Pee, Liberal Democrat Thomas Vaughan, Green Jason Adshead and Reform UK’s Michael Eyre.

Labour Cllr Damien Greenhalgh will be contesting the Glossop South seat against Conservative Adie Hopkinson, Liberal Democrat Jonathan Parrott, Green’s Peter Allen, and Reform UK’s Phil Hesketh.

Former High Peak Labour MP Ruth George who was a Labour county councillor for five years before she was recently deselected as councillor for Whaley Bridge will now contest the division as an Independent candidate.

She will be going up against Conservative Jacky Sidebottom, Labour’s Jo Taylor, Liberal Democrat David Lomax, Green Matthew Firth and Reform UK’s Luke Norton.

Amber Valley Borough Council is administering elections for ten county council seats including: Alfreton and Somercotes; Alport and Duffield; Codnor, Aldecar, Langley Mill and Loscoe; Heanor; Horsley; North Belper; Ripley East; Ripley West and Crich; South Belper and Holbrook; And Swanwick and Riddings.

Both Philip Rose and Alexander Stevenson are running for re-election as Independents after they had been elected as Conservative councillors before being suspended and joining Reform UK and then resigning to sit as Amber Valley Independents.

Independent Cllr Rose will contest the Codnor, Aldecar, Langley Mill and Loscoe division against Conservative Jake Gilbert, Labour’s Paul Jones, Liberal Democrat Jeremy Miles, Green Angela Mayson, Reform UK’s Darran Furness, and the National Front’s Timothy Knowles.

And Independent Cllr Stevenson is contesting the Heanor division against Conservative Mayo Oliver, Labour’s Jason Edge, Liberal Democrat Jerry Marler, Green Sue Castillon, and Reform UK’s Peter Matthews.

Green Party County Cllr Gez Kinsella will be hoping to secure the South Belper and Holbrook division against Conservative Matt Murray, Labour’s Mary Dwyer, Liberal Democrat Richard Salmon, Belper Independent Rob Marshall, and Reform UK’s Martin Carnell.

County Cllr Charlotte Cupit, Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, will compete for the Swanwick and Riddings division in Amber Valley after originally being elected during the last term to represent the Clay Cross North division in North East Derbyshire.

The Conservative county councillor will stand against Labour’s James Butler, Liberal Democrat Malvin Trigg, Independent Alan Abernethy, Green Dave Hatchett and Reform UK’s Charlotte Gates for the Swanwick and Riddings’ seat.

Derbyshire Dales District Council is administering elections for six county council seats including; Ashbourne South; Bakewell; Derwent Valley; Dovedale and Ashbourne North; Matlock; And Wirksworth.

Liberal Democrat County Cllr Sue Burfoot will be contesting the Matlock division seat against Conservative Gareth Gee, Labour’s Sarah Halliwell, Green Nicola Peltel, and Reform UK’s Juliette Stevens.

Erewash Borough Council is administering elections for nine county council seats including; Breadsall and West Hallam; Breaston; Ilkeston Central; Ilkeston North; Ilkeston South and Kirk Hallam; Long Eaton North; Long Eaton South; Sandiacre; And Sawley.

South Derbyshire District Council is administering elections for nine county council seats including: Aston; Etwall and Findern; Hilton; Linton; Melbourne and Woodville; Repton and Stenson; Swadlincote East; Swadlincote South; And Swadlincote West.

During a recent Full County Council meeting a number of councillors announced they will not be standing again including Deputy Leader Cllr Simon Spencer, representing Dovedale, Council Chairman, Cllr Trevor Ainsworth, representing Horsley, Conservative Robert Parkinson, representing Breaston, and Labour Cllr Dave Allen, representing Birdholme.

Cllr Spencer said it had been a privilege to be a member of the council which he holds close to his heart after he became a county councillor in 2009.

He added that he has seen the best of people and he has seen people who are committed to representing the views of those who elected them and that councillors are fundamentally here to serve.

Cllr Spencer said: “I know we can batter each other occasionally but generally speaking we can have a conversation and get to a reasonable consensus.

“This council is going to continue to face challenges and the Local Government Reorganisation is going to be one of the biggest challenges and I hope that out of that will come a structure that can deliver services in a sensible way.

“I just want this council to deliver its services with dignity, professionalism and in the best possible way whoever is at the helm in future.”

Council Chairman, Cllr Trevor Ainsworth, thanked all the county councillors at the last Full Council meeting before the election for all their work and for the way they have conducted themselves and he wished those not standing again a happy retirement.

Derbyshire County Council is encouraging people to vote on May 1 and to not miss the chance to choose which county councillors they would like to represent them and serve the county’s estimated 811,500 residents.

The deadline for registering to vote is just before midnight, 11.59pm, on Friday 11 April.

Residents registered to vote do not need their polling card to do so, but they must have photo ID. Polling stations will be open on Thursday, May 1, from 7am to 10pm.

Votes will be counted on Friday, May 2, and results from all the divisions will be published as soon they are received on the county council’s website and its Facebook page on May 2.