High Peak to join new Derbyshire North council

Glossop and the rest of the High Peak will become part of a new single council from 2028 after the Government confirmed plans to abolish Derbyshire's current two-tier system.

The people of Glossop and the High Peak will see the biggest change to local government in more than 50 years after the Government confirmed plans to replace Derbyshire's existing councils with two new unitary authorities.

High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council will both be abolished and replaced by a new Derbyshire North Council, which will also include Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, North East Derbyshire, Bolsover and the northern part of Amber Valley.

The Government announced the decision today as part of a nationwide programme of local government reorganisation aimed at simplifying council services.

The new authority is expected to take responsibility for all local government services from April 1, 2028, replacing the current two tier system where responsibilities are split between borough and county councils. Elections for the new authority are due to take place in May 2027.

High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council will continue to provide existing services during the transition.

The Government's preferred option splits Derbyshire into two unitary authorities on a broadly north/south basis, with the new northern council serving around 539,000 residents.

High Peak MP Jon Pearce welcomed the announcement, saying he believed it represented the best outcome for the area after several competing proposals were considered.

He said: "Today's announcement brings certainty about the future shape of local government in Derbyshire.

"I am pleased that the Government have approved the proposal for a new Derbyshire North council, that High Peak Labour councillors and I backed.

"There were advantages and disadvantages to every option considered, but I believe this delivers the best outcome for High Peak. The key now is to ensure this new council recognises the importance and unique nature of the communities in High Peak and delivers the best possible public services.

"For too long there have been poor relations in Derbyshire; we are always the first to receive cuts and the last to receive investment. There is no better evidence of this than Reform's attempt to close Glossop tip.

"Nothing will change immediately. High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council will continue delivering services until the new arrangements come into effect in April 2028.

"I will continue working hard throughout the transition to make sure High Peak's interests remain at the heart of the new council, that residents see the benefits of these changes in the years ahead, and that High Peak gets its fair share."

The Government says the move to unitary authorities will simplify local government by placing services such as education, highways, social care, planning, housing, waste collection and leisure under a single council.

However, the proposals have proved controversial across Derbyshire.

Some council leaders have argued the changes could improve efficiency and make it easier for residents to access services, while others have expressed concerns over the financial implications, the size of the new authorities and whether rural communities such as those in the High Peak will be served sufficiently.

High Peak Borough Council supported the Derbyshire North proposal, while Derbyshire County Council argued to retaining Derbyshire as a single unitary authority. That proposal was rejected by the Government.

Over the coming months, work will begin to establish the new councils ahead of their launch in 2028, with detailed decisions still to be made on governance, staffing and the future delivery of local services, but services will continue as they are in the short term.