Consultation
Listening to and acting upon your views is one of our key priorities. Whether you want to help shape our services, comment on a local issue - or simply tell us how we could improve – there are dozens of ways to get involved and have your say.
We continually strive to improve our services, and to improve North East Derbyshire as a place to live, work and visit. Working with our partners, this means:
- Asking you for your views on how we should best spend public money.
- Consulting you on plans for services, and asking you what should be provided and how services could be improved. Public consultation results/reports are made available to view on the Ask Derbyshire website.
- Letting people know what we, along with our housing management company, Rykneld Homes, are trying to achieve for local people.
- Involving you in decision-making.
- Giving you the chance to get involved in formal scrutiny of our activities and policies.
We also work hard to make sure everyone has an opportunity to have their say, including young people and ethnic minority groups.
How can I get involved?
There are many ways to give us your views or take part in decision-making, e.g. tenants and residents groups and the Citizen’s Panel, which is made up of circa 300 local residents who are regularly consulted on local issues.
Good consultation leads to better decision-making which reflects the views of our communities, so we encourage as many people as possible to get involved.
If you are interested in joining our Citizens’ Panel, please email:
Electoral Services
All elections held in North East Derbyshire are organised by us. Elections happen on a cycle, usually every four years. The right to vote is fundamental to the democratic process and we do all we can to maximise turnout. You’ll know when there is an election coming up as you’ll see publicity in the media, political parties will be canvassing for support and we will display notices within your parish and at our offices.
The Register of Electors
To vote in an election you must be 18 or over and your name must be on the Register of Electors. As an election date approaches, there is a cut off point so, for example, if you move house it’s important to let us know as soon as possible and register to vote at your new address.
Every member of your household who is on the Register of Electors and eligible to vote will receive a poll card in advance of the election. The Register is open to the public and can be inspected at our main offices. By law we must provide copies to certain organisations. You have some choice as to whether or not your name appears on copies of the Register which are made available to commercial organisations. Please contact us if you want more details. The Register is also used to call people for jury service.
The Full Register
The Full Register has the names and addresses of everyone registered to vote. This is not available to view online but can be viewed under supervision at our main offices. Credit reference agencies are also allowed to use the Full Register to check your name and address if you are applying for credit. Anyone who has a copy of the Register will be committing a criminal offence if they unlawfully pass on information from it. You do not have a choice about your name and address being included on this Register.
The Open Register
The Open Register is available for general sale and can be used for any purpose. You can choose not to be on it. It is kept separate from the Full Register. The Open Register is an extract of the Full Register and only includes electors who haven’t opted out of the Open Register.
The Open Register can be bought by any person, company, or organisation and can be used for different purposes, e.g. checking your identity. The charge for the Register in data format is £20 plus £1.50 per thousand or part entries, and in paper format £10 plus £5 per thousand or part entries.
Parish and Town Councils
There are 24 parish and town councils in North East Derbyshire. These are separate from North East Derbyshire District Council and operate independently. These councils can raise money, called a precept, from residents in their area to pay for local projects. We collect this precept as part of your Council Tax bill.
The councils vary in size but each has a clerk who deals with all the administration and financial matters on their behalf. Parish and town councillors must abide by the same ethical framework as district councillors.
A full list of town and parish councils in North East Derbyshire, along with contact details, is available online on our website.
Sustainable Communities
We work in partnership with other agencies and groups to promote and develop sustainable communities: places where people want to live and work, with access to jobs, excellent services and affordable, decent homes and opportunities to get involved in the community.
We develop and co-ordinate plans alongside our public, private and voluntary sector partners which shape the future delivery of services in the district to meet the needs and priorities of local residents. Our priorities which contribute to this work are reflected in our Council Plan.
The Programme Management Team is responsible for engaging with other agencies to tackle inequalities identified within our communities, working to attract external funding to support initiatives and projects across the district. Our work can focus on targeted communities or groups of people from across the area affected by issues such as poor health and financial exclusion.
Some of the current priorities of the Team include the delivery of the Healthy North East Derbyshire (HNED) Partnership and the Council’s Community Action Grants (CAGs), community information events and support for the Armed Forces Community (AFC). More information can be found on the partnerships webpage.
The Chair of the Council
The Chair is the civic head of North East Derbyshire District Council. In his / her absence, the duties are carried out by the Vice Chair. The Chair represents the District on civic occasions and, with the support of our officers, raises money for their annual charity appeal. The Chair is usually elected annually from amongst the controlling group on the Council. As well as the civic role he or she is there to preside over meetings of the Council, to uphold and promote the purposes of our Constitution, and to interpret the Constitution where necessary.
Contact us
A request for the Chair to attend a function can be made to us in writing to:
Civic Office, North East Derbyshire District Council, District Council Offices, 2013 Mill Lane Wingerworth Chesterfield, S42 6NG.
If you require further information on the Chair or Chair engagements please contact
The Council
The council is made up of 53 elected councillors who represent different parts of the District, known as ‘wards’. The councillors are there to represent the interests of your communities and to protect the interests of the District as a whole. Every four years the councillors stand for election. We also manage the election process for the general election of MPs to Parliament, Police and Crime Commissioner, County, Town and Parish Council elections.
What governs how the council is run?
The way decisions are made and by whom – along with much more detailed information about how the council works – is set out in a document called the Constitution. This lengthy document governs the way the authority is run. You can view this on our website at www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk.
How are decisions made?
Decisions that involve setting budgets or major policies can only be taken by the Council, which meets between six to nine times a year. The Cabinet, which is made up of the Leader and Deputy Leader of the council and five other elected councillors, meets monthly and takes decisions within the budget and policies agreed by the Council.
Who checks on these decisions?
Councillors who are not members of Cabinet help to make sure that the Council and specific services are working effectively. The Audit and Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee monitors how the Council deals with risk management and also whether appropriate accounting policies have been followed. The other Scrutiny Committees - Communities; Growth; Organisation - look at what the Council’ service do and make recommendations on how things could be improved.
Does anyone else make decisions?
Some powers are delegated to committees, which are also made up of councillors.
These include:
- Planning Committee - this meets every four weeks to decide on planning applications and planning enforcement.
- Licensing Sub-Committees - these consider licensing issues, such as applications for alcohol and entertainment licences, and Hackney Carriage and private hire vehicle licences.
- Standards Committee - this is made up of District and parish members. It considers issues relating to councillors’ ethics and conduct, and advises councillors on the Code of Conduct.
Day-to-day decisions can be made by designated officers within the Council, in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation to Officers within our Constitution.
Can I find out about decisions taken by Cabinet?
Each month we publish a list of decisions that are going to be taken by Cabinet. This list is updated regularly to keep it as accurate as possible. It explains what are expected to be ‘Key Decisions’ – or decisions on important issues which have to be published 28 days in advance of the meeting, or ‘Exempt Decisions’ which Cabinet will have to consider in private because they involve confidential information. You can also find out about what Cabinet decisions have been taken in the past, view the reports that were considered (unless they were classed as ‘Exempt’) and the reasons why the decisions were taken.
This can all be viewed online on the democracy webpages and is available at our offices. Agendas and reports for most council meetings are also available on our website, at least five working days before the meeting is due to take place, and the public can attend most meetings. Minutes of council meetings are available on our website or paper copies and different formats can be requested by calling (01246) 231111.
Councillors and standards
All councillors must carry out their role in line with the Council Code of Conduct. This sets out standards of behaviour, as well as the rules about disclosing interests which could influence a decision.
Can I make a complaint about a councillor?
If you feel that a councillor has acted in a way that breaches the Code of Conduct you may wish to make a complaint. Complaints will be dealt with by our Monitoring Officer in the first instance. Those that are more serious may be referred to our Standards Committee. You can download a copy of the complaint form – and find out more about the process – online on our website.