# Derbyshire County Council

Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Derby. The county council is based at County Hall in Matlock. Since 2017 the council has been under Conservative majority control. The council is a constituent member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

## History

The council was first set up in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, covering the administrative county. It was reconstituted in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 with some adjustments to its territory, most notably gaining Derby which had previously been a county borough independent from the county council. In 1997, the city of Derby left the area covered by the council becoming a unitary authority, but the city remains part of Derbyshire for ceremonial purposes.
In 2024 a combined county authority was established covering Derbyshire, Derby, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, called the East Midlands Combined County Authority. The combined authority is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the East Midlands and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across the area.

## District and Borough Councils

There are eight lower tier district/borough councils within the Derbyshire Council area:
* Amber Valley Borough Council
* Erewash Borough Council
* Bolsover District Council
* Chesterfield Borough Council
* North East Derbyshire District Council
* High Peak Borough Council
* Derbyshire Dales District Council
* South Derbyshire District Council

## Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2017.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years |
| Labour | 1974–1977 |
| Conservative | 1977–1981 |
| Labour | 1981–2009 |
| Conservative | 2009–2012 |
| No overall control | 2012–2013 |
| Labour | 2013–2017 |
| Conservative | 2017–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1981 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| David Bookbinder | Labour | 1981 | 1992 |
| Martin Doughty | Labour | 1992 | 2001 |
| John Williams | Labour | 2001 | 2009 |
| Andrew Lewer | Conservative | 2009 | 2013 |
| Anne Western | Labour | 2013 | 2017 |
| Barry Lewis | Conservative | 24 May 2017 | |

### Composition

Since the 2021 election there have been several changes to the make up of the council. Labour won two by-elections in October 2022 and August 2023 from the Conservatives and three Conservative councillors have left the party and now sit as Independents. As of January 2025 the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Conservative | 40 |
| | Labour | 16 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 4 |
| | Green | 1 |
| | Independent | 3 |
| Total | Total | 64 |
The next election is due in May 2025.

## Premises

From its creation in 1889 until 1955 the council met at County Hall, Derby, which had been built in 1660. In 1955 the council moved to the current county hall in Matlock. This newer county hall is in a former hydrotherapy complex called Smedley's Hydro which was built in 1867.

## Elections

Since 2013 the council has comprised 64 councillors. Following the most recent Boundary Review, from the 2025 election each electoral division will be represented by a single councillor. Elections are held every four years.

## Notable former members

* Dennis Skinner (1964–1970), later member of parliament for Bolsover
* Andrew Lewer (2005-2014 Leader 2009-2013), later member of European Parliament for East Midlands