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Weekly updates

This Week in Derbyshire: Council Approves New Planning Applications

The Regulatory - Planning Committee met on Monday 15 July 2024. There was no video provided for this meeting. You may recall from previous emails that Planning Committees are responsible for making decisions on planning applications. These are applications by companies and individuals to build new structures, change the use of land and buildings, and make changes to protected buildings1. Planning law in England and Wales is complex, but the key legislation is contained within the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee met on Monday 15 July 2024. There was no video provided for this meeting. Appointments and Conditions of Service Committees are responsible for setting the pay and conditions of council employees, and for ensuring that the council complies with employment law.

The Audit Committee met on Tuesday 16 July 2024. There was no video provided for this meeting. Audit Committees scrutinse the council's finances and hold them to account for their management of public money. They are also responsible for ensuring that the council has effective arrangements in place to prevent and detect fraud.

The Pensions and Investments Committee met on Wednesday 17 July 2024. There was no video provided for this meeting. Pensions and Investments Committees manage the council's pension fund. The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is a defined benefit public sector occupational pension scheme in the United Kingdom. It is available to most people employed by local authorities. This includes teachers, police (except in Scotland) and firefighters. In some cases, other employers can arrange for their staff to join the LGPS - for example, if they are employed by a company set up by a local authority.

The Council meeting scheduled for Thursday 18 July 2024 was postponed. The Council subsequently met on Thursday 18 July 2024. There was no video provided for this meeting. Council meetings are where key decisions are made about the council's budget, policies, and priorities. They are also an opportunity for councillors to hold the council's leadership to account.


  1. Buildings that are 'protected' by law due to their historic or architectural interest are known as 'listed buildings'. The act of adding a building to this list - and therefore protecting it in law - is known as 'listing'. The classifications for listed buildings are Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II. Grade I listed buildings are of exceptional interest, Grade II* are particularly important buildings of more than special interest and Grade II are of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them. These classifications come from The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. 

Derbyshire Council considers care home closures

The Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Resources of Derbyshire County Council met on Thursday 27 June 2024. The committee discussed several significant issues, including the potential closure of council-operated care homes, the strategic approach to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and trade union time off.

During the meeting, a member of the public, D Ingham, raised a question regarding the council's plans for care homes in Derbyshire. They highlighted a discrepancy between the council's earlier statement in January, which indicated no plans to reduce care homes, and a subsequent proposal in April suggesting the closure of up to eleven homes to achieve budget savings of £5.209 million. Council officers clarified that the initial savings proposal was focused on reducing service volume and remodelling the care home offer rather than closing specific homes. They explained that further analysis revealed sufficient capacity within the Derbyshire care home market, prompting the proposal to rationalise council-operated homes and prioritise specialist dementia care. This issue has sparked significant public interest, as the potential closure of care homes directly impacts some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

The committee also received an update on the proposed EDI Statement and Equality Objectives. Wes Downes, Policy Manager, and Sally Pearson, Head of Learning and Development, presented the key findings from the public consultation, which took place between 28 February and 13 March 2024. The consultation garnered around 100 responses, mostly from council employees. The feedback indicated a high level of agreement with both the EDI statement and the objectives. Based on the feedback, the EDI Statement was revised to explicitly state the council's commitment to both its colleagues and the community.

The committee also discussed trade union time off within Derbyshire County Council. The council currently adheres to the ACAS Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities. The recognition agreement with Unison, Unite, and GMB, which includes provisions for trade union time off, is currently under review. Initial amendments have been shared with the unions, and further discussions are planned. This topic is of particular interest as it pertains to the relationship between the council and its employees, who are represented by trade unions.

The Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - People met on Wednesday 26 June 2024. There was no video provided for this meeting.

Recent meetings
Derbyshire Police and Crime Panel

Derbyshire Police and Crime Panel - Thursday, 26 September 2024 10.00 am

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 26, 2024
Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Resources

Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Resources - Thursday, 26 September 2024 2.00 pm

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 26, 2024
Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Places

Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Places - Wednesday, 25 September 2024 10.30 am

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 25, 2024
Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Health

Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Health - Monday, 23 September 2024 10.30 am

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 23, 2024
Cabinet POSTPONED

Cabinet - Wednesday, 18 September 2024 2.00 pm

This meeting has been postponed.

September 18, 2024
Audit Committee

Audit Committee - Tuesday, 17 September 2024 2.00 pm

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 17, 2024
Recruitment Panel

Director of Strategic Commissioning Quality and Performance - interviews, Recruitment Panel - Tuesday, 17 September 2024 10.00 am

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 17, 2024
Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Climate Change, Biodiversity and Carbon Reduction

Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Climate Change, Biodiversity and Carbon Reduction - Monday, 16 September 2024 2.00 pm

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 16, 2024
East Midlands Combined County Authority

East Midlands Combined County Authority - Board - Monday, 16 September 2024 11.00 am

The notes from this meeting have not yet been summarised.

September 16, 2024
Pensions and Investments Committee

Pensions and Investments Committee - Wednesday, 4 September 2024 10.30 am

We have not been able to find a video broadcast of this meeting.

September 04, 2024
Upcoming meetings

No meetings found.