About the Council

Derbyshire Dales comprises 39 elected councillors representing 25 wards; the current political makeup is 29 Conservatives, 5 Labour, 4 Liberal Democrats and 1 independent councillor. The Council has performed very well over the past few years, with the most recent Audit Commission report (December 2009) commenting: “the council is delivering good value for money, doing a good job at working on local people’s priorities, and helping during the recession….Councillors and staff work well together in the aim of improving Derbyshire Dales as a place to live.” This achievement – remaining the joint best performing council in Derbyshire with the lowest amount of Government funding – is a significant one.

Organisationally, we are relatively flat and lean, with 380 FTE staff spread across three main service areas. Corporate Services (covering Finance, Democratic Services and Organisational Development) is overseen by the Chief Executive. The Directorate of Community Services delivers Waste, Leisure, Streetscene and Parks, while the Directorate of Planning & Housing oversees Planning, Housing Strategy, Building Control and Tourism. Project teams work across all three directorates to achieve objectives, and there’s a completely integrated approach throughout the authority.

One of the most popular aspects of the Council’s work is the regular Area Forums, held in the north, centre and south of the district at regular intervals. The leader, his deputy and the Chief Executive are joined by senior representatives from the National Park Authority, the County Council, fire, police, and parish councilors, in an open public meeting that covers any and all matters of local significance. This builds a genuine, authentic connection between the authority and communities, and underpins the confidence that residents have in the decision-making process. You can see the Leader discussing Area Forums here.