On the 6th May 2021, elections to Derbyshire County Council are taking place.
What is the County Council?
Derbyshire County Council (DCC) is made up of 64 representatives from 61 unique divisions across the county. Each division elects a Councillor (three divisions, Glossop and Charlesworth, Alfreton and Somercotes, and Eckington and Killamarsh, have two each), who will represent that area at the Derbsyhire County level for the next four years.
What does the County Council do?
DCC is responsible for a wide range of services, they include but are not limited to transport and roads, public services such as youth centres and social care, business development and allocation of grants and waste management.
Who makes decisions?
The political make up of the council varies after each election, but like national government, the party with the overall majority (most Councillors) take charge. The leader of the Council and their Cabinent will be responsible for overseeing decisions. Members of the Cabinet are then responsible for their select portfollios, these are Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism; Highways, Transport and Infrastructure; Health and Communities; Adult Care; Economic Development and Regeneration; Corporate Services; Young People.
What about the opposition?
Opposition parties, just like the majoritarian party, have leaders. The leader of the largest opposition party are formally titled the Leader of the Opposition and they have an important role in holding the councillors who are in power to account by challenging their decisions and introducing counter proposals.
The party in control has changed a number of times in recent years between Labour and Conservatives after many years of Labour dominance.
What about councillors who aren't in control or from the major opposition?
Arguably, Councillors who are not from either of the two core groups hold a huge amount of influence, particuarly on councils in which the majority is slim. They often have the casting vote and may be able to decide whether a mottion is passed. So even if a councillor is elected from a party which only has one or two representatives, together they may be able to decide crucial issues.
The graphic on the right shows, how a councillor from a different party may have the ability to decide which way a vote goes and could have real influence.
So what happens on 6th May 2021?
In May, the public will vote for their County Councillors and decide who they want to represent them for the next four years. If you want your voice to be heard make sure you are registered to vote, you must do so by midnight on Monday 19th April at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Given that we are in the midst of a pandemic, many voters are choosing to vote by post. If you would like to use a postal vote your application must be submitted before 5pm on Tuesday 20th April. The application forms can be downloaded at www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote.
But wait...what about the other councils? What are they and when do we elect them?
Parish and Town Councils - Elections not until 2023
The last Parish Council elections happened in 2019 and the next are scheduled for 2023, there could be by-elections before then as Councillor vacancies may crop up in case of death, retirement or other circumtances.
Parish and Town Councils are seen as the first rung on the ladder, often referred to as the least powerful but the closest to their communities. There are many Parish and Town council's across the country as they are deal with relatively small areas and focus on local issues. They deal with local issues such as allotments, public spaces and facillities, bus shelters, village halls, play areas and equipment, grants for local organisations, management of local trees and parks and consultations on neighbourhood planning.
Parish and Town Councils also have the power to issue fixed penalty fines for things like litter, graffiti, fly posting and dog offences.
Each Council is made up of a number of Councillors each elected from a particular ward within the local area. Wingerworth Parish Council for example is made up of a total of 13 elected representatives, below is a list of how many councillors come from each ward:
Adlington – 2 Councillors
Hardwick Wood – 1 Councillor
Longedge – 1 Councillor
Wingerworth Central - 9 Councillors
Woodthorpe – 1 Councillor
The District Council - Elections not until 2023
The last District Council elections were held in 2019 alongside those for the Parish and Town councils. The next are scheduled for 2023 but there may be by-elections before then as Councillor vacancies may arise in case of death, retirement or other such circumtances.
The next step up from the Parish and Town Councils is the District Council – in our case North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC). They focus on a wider area than the Parish do but do not extend as far as the County Council.
You might have noticed the NEDDC logo on your local waste collection and recycling services but they’re also usually responsible for services like council tax collection, housing and planning applications.
Wingerworth votes as a whole ward in order to elect 3 councillors to represent them at the District level.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch and I will do my best to explain and find a suitable answer.
Regardless of your political opinions please engage in these local elections on 6th May 2021 and take advantage of democracy. Make your voice heard!