Full Council Meeting - Headlines

Budget set: council tax rises 2.99% - the lowest increase across Derbyshire
 

South Derbyshire District Council finalised its budget for 2025/26 this evening, with Members agreeing to raise council tax by the recommended 2.99%, to enable the continuation of improved services for residents. 

This decision means a ‘Band D’ property will increase its payment to South Derbyshire by £5.38 for the year, to £185.24. The average annual council tax for these properties - taking into account the charges from Derbyshire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service - is now £2,201.41. 

The budget overall has also included continued investment in Council services, to manage cost pressures and ensure services have the right resources in place to continue to deliver locally. 

Councillor Robert Pearson, Leader of South Derbyshire District Council, said: “Keeping council tax as low as possible, especially when many residents are facing increased household bills, is extremely important to us. I am pleased that our Band D Council Tax continues to remain the lowest in Derbyshire. And we’ve done this while making no service cuts. In fact, where it is needed, the Council is continuing to invest back into service areas, to ensure we have the right resources to deliver for our residents.” 

Continuation of Council Tax Reduction Scheme
 

It was ratified that the Council will continue to support households in the most need, with the continuation of the support scheme (Council Tax Reduction Scheme) that sees many residents pay little or no council tax. 

Housing Rents up by 2.7% - keeping rents as low as possible 

Members also agreed that Council Housing rents would this year increase by 2.7%, in line with the Government’s social rent policy. The average rent per property will increase by £2.53 per week, from £94.49 per week to £97.02. 

Council Tax Premium on second homes – April 2026 

Members approved recommendations to introduce a 100% Council Tax Premium on second homes in South Derbyshire, from April 2026. Recent consultation has taken place on potential exemptions, which concluded at the end of January. 

Council Tax Premium on long-term empty homes – April 2026 

Members also approved recommendations to amend the current Long Term Empty Council Tax Premium, so it applies after a property has been vacant for one year, in place of two. This will come into effect from April next year. 

Local Government Reorganisation: an update  

Our Chief Executive, Dr Justin Ives, gave an update to all Members on the Devolution White Paper and Local Government Reorganisation, including details on how Council Leaders and Chief Executives from the Districts, Boroughs and Derby City have come together to build proposals at the request of the Minster of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon.  

Initial proposals are expected by 21st March, so Dr Ives has also requested approval of an Extraordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday 18th March, to share initial proposals, before they are submitted to Government.  

See our latest update from Leaders here. 

Brand new Swadlincote Leisure Centre & Civic Office – the project starts today!
 

As was reported last month, the Council’s extensive plans for a brand-new leisure centre and civic offices were up for consideration at tonight’s meeting. The Council voted unanimously in favour of the project, which would see a transformative state-of-the-art facility built, to replace the current Greenbank Leisure Centre and Civic Offices in Swadlincote.  

The project will now begin immediately, under the direction of a Project Board. Initial RIBA Stage 3 Plans are expected to be completed by July 2025, with a planning application submitted by Christmas this year. The Council will engage with residents, the workforce, Members and key partners, to ensure the views and needs of service users are taken into careful consideration, throughout the design process.  

The project is expected to be complete by Spring 2028. 

Why not refurbish the existing buildings? 

Both existing buildings are ageing assets that no longer meet modern standards. Their deteriorating condition, alongside the Government and Council’s own decarbonisation targets, means they require substantial investment simply to remain operational. Retrofitting these buildings would be costly and still unlikely to achieve the efficiency, accessibility and quality required for the future. A new facility would support the Government’s requirement for all public sector buildings to meet energy performance standards and the Council’s own goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The current buildings are among the largest sources of emissions within the Council’s estate, making replacement with a modern, energy-efficient development the most viable long-term solution. 

The project is set to save £121 million in running costs over the anticipated 50 year life of the new buildings.  

For more information, click here to view our FAQs. 
 

Local Plan Part 1 Review approved
 

The Local Plan is a document which sets out what, following extensive research, the Council determines the long-term plan to be for the development of an area. It features proposals for meeting Government targets for housing, as well as information about the environment, both for homes and business. 

The Council was asked last night to approve the review of the Local Plan Part 1, the updated Local Development Scheme and the Housing Provision Position Paper. In essence, the updates included: 

• The allocation of two strategic mixed-use sites on the edge of Derby to provide 4,500 homes, jobs and infrastructure to help to address unmet housing need in Derby 

• The allocation of the Freeport site for significant new rail-connected employment land to meet the regional need 

• A District-wide 40 percent affordable housing target 

• Strong protections for the more rural parts of the District, with policies to respond to the climate emergency and deliver enhanced green infrastructure and biodiversity net gain. 

Consultation on the latest Local Plan updates will take place in March, to help us understand residents’ opinions on the recommended updates. 

The Full Council agenda and supporting documents can be viewed here. 

13 March 2025