Derbyshire County Council sets out cost-cutting move from Victorian HQ

Derbyshire County Council is set to quit its historic headquarters in Matlock to save money.

The Conservative-led council has revealed plans to move to a smaller office near the former spa building, which it says could become a hotel.

The relocation is one of a raft of proposed savings announced by the authority which is facing a £33m overspend this financial year.

The council said it was under pressure "like never before".

A report, to be considered by the county council's cabinet on 11 January, said it was no longer "financially sustainable" to stay in the building which currently costs nearly £2m a year to run.

That cost is expected to rise to £3.3m annually in the future and the building had a £56m maintenance backlog, the report said.

The council said it had considered leaving Matlock completely and moving its headquarters to Chesterfield but that moving to a smaller location on the current complex was more cost effective.

A marketing exercise in summer last year led to "formal interest" from global hotel operators, the council said.

It said developing County Hall as a mixed scheme including a hotel, a performance venue and residential properties could deliver a "significant economic impact" for Matlock.

Other major savings proposed by the council include changes to residential and day care currently offered for people with learning disabilities and autism, as well as a redesign of its care home service for older people.

The council also plans to find savings from its extra care facilities for older people, its children's centres and its early help service.

Further savings are planned in its home to school transport policy for children over 16 and through a review of its short break and support services for disabled children.

Charges could be introduced at council recycling centres for people dumping tyres and asbestos while fees could be introduced for small businesses wanting to use the sites.

Library services are also to be reviewed to find savings, the council said.

The authority also plans to scrap its Derbyshire Now magazine.

The council said it was "too early" to talk about job losses but said it could not rule out redundancies.

Council leader Barry Lewis said the cuts would have an impact on thousands of Derbyshire residents.

He said: "We have made no secret of the fact that we are facing pressures like never before.

"We have been calling for more government support and for a drastic change to the way we are funded, especially in children's and adults' social care, to ensure we can continue to stay afloat.

"As recently as December, we called for urgent additional funding and a pledge of intervention in the immediate future to fix the deeply broken and uncompetitive market for children's residential care."

The authority's cabinet will discuss the proposed budget on 1 February then it will be debated by the full council on 14 February.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "Councils are ultimately responsible for their own finances, however we remain ready to talk to any concerned about their financial position.

"We recognise they are facing challenges and that is why we have announced a £64bn funding package to ensure they can continue making a difference, including through our combined efforts to level up."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].