North East Derbyshire Explained

North East Derbyshire
Type:Non-metropolitan district
Blank Emblem Type:Coat of Arms of the District Council
Blank Emblem Size:160px
Mapsize:160px
Subdivision Type:Sovereign state
Subdivision Name:United Kingdom
Subdivision Type1:Constituent country
Subdivision Name1:England
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:East Midlands
Subdivision Type3:Ceremonial county
Subdivision Name3:Derbyshire
Seat Type:Admin. HQ
Seat:Wingerworth
Government Type:North East Derbyshire District Council
Leader Title2:MPs
Leader Name2:Louise Jones, Natalie Fleet
Established Title:Founded
Area Rank:
Population Rank:Ranked
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Ethnicity (2021)
Demographics1 Title1:Ethnic groups
Demographics Type2:Religion (2021)
Demographics2 Title1:Religion
Timezone:Greenwich Mean Time
Utc Offset:+0
Timezone Dst:British Summer Time
Utc Offset Dst:+1
Postal Code Type:Postcode
Postal Code:DE, S
Blank Name:ISO 3166-2
Blank1 Name:ONS code
Blank1 Info:17UJ (ONS)
E07000038 (GSS)
Blank2 Name:OS grid reference
Blank3 Name:NUTS 3
Blank4 Name:Ethnicity
Blank4 Info:95.7% White

North East Derbyshire is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. The council is based in the large village of Wingerworth. The district also includes the towns of Dronfield and Clay Cross as well as numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

The neighbouring districts are Chesterfield (which it almost surrounds), Bolsover, Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Sheffield and Rotherham.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[1]

The new district was named North East Derbyshire, reflecting its position within the wider county.[2]

Governance

North East Derbyshire District Council
Logo Pic:North East Derbyshire District Council logo.svg
Logo Res:150px
House Type:Non-metropolitan district
Leader1 Type:Chair
Leader1:Gerry Morley
Party1:
Labour
Election1:20 May 2024[3]
Leader2 Type:Leader
Leader2:Nigel Barker
Party2:
Labour
Election2:22 May 2023[4]
Leader3 Type:Managing Director
Leader3:Lee Hickin
Election3:2021[5]
Members:53 councillors
Structure1 Res:280
Political Groups1:
Administration (28)
  • Other parties (25)
  • Last Election1:4 May 2023
    Next Election1:6 May 2027
    Meeting Place:2013 Mill Lane, Wingerworth, Chesterfield, S426NG

    North East Derbyshire District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Derbyshire County Council. The district is also entirely covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[6]

    Since 2014 the district has been a non-constituent member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (formerly known as the Sheffield City Region); the council sends representatives to meetings of the combined authority, but the electorate of North East Derbyshire District does not vote in elections for the Mayor of South Yorkshire.[7] The district is also part of The Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership.[8]

    Political control

    The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.[9]

    The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[10] [11]

    Party in control Years
    1974–1976
    1976–1979
    1979–2019
    2019–2022
    2022–2023
    2023–present

    Leadership

    The leaders of the council since 2004 have been:[12]

    Councillor Party From To
    Graham Baxter[13] 2004 5 May 2019
    Martin Thacker 20 May 2019 13 Jul 2020
    Alex Dale 13 Jul 2020 22 May 2023
    Nigel Barker 22 May 2023

    Composition

    Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[14]

    PartyCouncillors
    28
    19
    3
    2
    1
    Total53
    The next election is due in 2027.

    Elections

    Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 53 councillors, representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[15]

    Premises

    Since 2015 the council has been based at offices on Mill Lane in Wingerworth.[16] Prior to 2015 the council was based at the former Chesterfield Rural District Council's offices at the Council House on Saltergate in Chesterfield, outside the council's own area. The Council House had been built in 1938 and was substantially extended shortly after North East Derbyshire's creation in 1974.[17]

    Parishes and settlements

    The district is entirely covered by civil parishes. The parish council for Dronfield takes the style "town council".[18]

    Settlements in the district include:

    Coal mining

    The district, along with the district of Bolsover and adjoining areas in South Yorkshire, was a major producer of coal; a large seam of coal was discovered during the construction of the Clay Cross Tunnel in the 1830s. Coal mining became the main industry in the region.[19]

    On nationalisation in 1947 there were 27 coal mines in the Chesterfield area, reduced to 12 by 1980.[20] During the 1980s the Conservative government planned to close down many of the remaining mines, leading to the 1984–85 miners' strike. Members of North Derbyshire NUM were split over the strike, with a March 1984 area ballot, at the start of the strike, narrowly opposing it.[21] It was however observed by the majority of North East Derbyshire miners, with all local pits initially closed. The strike caused massive poverty and social upheaval as traditionally close-knit communities became divided between those who worked and those who did not.[22] The strike was resolved by the spring of 1985 and mine closures continued, with the closure of many associated industries. This decimated many local communities, with many former pit villages struggling to recover. The last Colliery in the area closed in 1993.[20]

    Regeneration

    Following the closure of the pits large areas of the district were derelict, with old mine workings and spoil tips from 150 years of industrialisation. Over the last few years these sites have been remediated and regenerated by open cast mining of the remaining surface deposits and reclamation of coal from the old spoil heaps. The sites have then been restored as a mix of parkland, business parks, and housing sites. The work, part-funded by EEC Coalfield community regeneration grants, helped clean up the environmental legacy and fund the creation of job opportunities by providing the infrastructure for development. This resulted in several large and some smaller business parks, now providing thousands of jobs, albeit many in warehousing and distribution, not of the same skill level as the lost engineering jobs.

    Media

    In terms of television, North East Derbyshire is served by BBC Yorkshire and ITV Yorkshire broadcasting from the Emley Moor transmitter.[23]

    Radio stations for the area are:

    Derbyshire Times is the weekly local newspaper that serves the district .[25]

    Arms

    Escutcheon:Or a miner's pick Sable surmounted of a Tudor rose barbed and seeded Proper on a bordure engrailed also Sable eight annulets Gold.
    Crest:On a wreath Or and Vert out of a mural crown Argent masoned Sable a representation of the crooked spire of Chesterfield Parish Church Proper.
    Motto:Regnant Qui Serviunt (They Rule Who Serve)
    Notes:Originally granted to Chesterfield Rural District Council, 20 September 1954.[26]

    The council uses its coat of arms as its logo.

    Notes and References

    1. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972. 1972. 2039. 31 May 2023.
    2. si. The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973. 1973. 551. 31 May 2023.
    3. Web site: Council meeting, 20 May 2024 . North East Derbyshire District Council . 3 June 2024.
    4. Web site: Council minutes, 22 May 2023 . North East Derbyshire District Council . 26 July 2023.
    5. Web site: Council minutes, 11 November 2021 . North East Derbyshire District Council . 26 July 2023.
    6. act. Local Government Act 1972. 1972. 70. 31 May 2023.
    7. si. The Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority Order 2014. 2014. 863.
    8. Web site: D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership . 27 July 2023.
    9. News: Torr . George . Roberts . Georgia . Local Elections 2023: Labour big winners across Derbyshire . 25 July 2023 . BBC News . 5 May 2023.
    10. Web site: Compositions calculator . The Elections Centre . 14 May 2023.
    11. Web site: North East Derbyshire . 2010-02-05 . BBC News Online.
    12. Web site: Council minutes . North East Derbyshire District Council . 21 August 2022.
    13. News: New cabinet named in North East Derbyshire . 21 August 2022 . Chesterfield Post . 26 May 2011.
    14. Web site: Local elections 2023: live council results for England. The Guardian.
    15. si. The North East Derbyshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2017. 2017. 1269. 27 July 2023.
    16. News: North East Derbyshire District Council set for office relocation . 27 July 2023 . Chesterfield Post . 26 March 2015.
    17. News: Completion of modern offices for Chesterfield R.D.C. . 26 July 2023 . Sheffield Independent . 25 March 1938 . 3.
    18. Web site: Parish council contacts . North East Derbyshire District Council . 27 July 2023.
    19. Web site: Local industrial heritage North East Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology Society – NEDIAS . 13 June 2022.
    20. Web site: Derbyshire Coalfield – Chesterfield Area . Northern Mine Research Society. 16 July 2024.
    21. Web site: The Great Miners Strike 1984-5: Twelve Months that Shook Britain: the Story of the Strike . workersliberty.org. 26 July 2024.
    22. Web site: Miners' Strike 1984 created deep divisions among Derbyshire pitmen, families and villages . DerbyshireLive . 26 July 2024.
    23. Web site: Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) Full Freeview transmitter. 1 May 2004. UK Free TV. 19 April 2024.
    24. Web site: Chesterfield Radio. 19 April 2024.
    25. Web site: Derbyshire Times. 30 December 2013. British Papers. 20 April 2024.
    26. Web site: East Midlands Region . Civic Heraldry of England . 6 March 2021.