Amber Valley Liberal Democrats

01/10/2026

Party bosses said the move followed what it called "a prolonged period of concerns".

01/10/2026

Reform must lift ban on Derbyshire's local democracy reporter.
Derbyshire Dales Liberal Democrats have condemned Reform-led Derbyshire County Council's decision to "end engagement" with Local Democracy Reporter Eddie Bisknell, and demanded it be reversed immediately.

Cllr Sue Burfoot, the Lib Dem councillor for Matlock who supported the resident in her case against the council, said:
"This ban came straight after Eddie reported how the council blocked an 81-year-old Matlock resident's route out of her home. A tribunal judge found in her favour and criticised the council's handling of the dispute. The council should have learned from that case, not gone after the reporter who told it. So much for Reform claiming to believe in a free press!"

Barry Holliday, Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Derbyshire Dales, added:
"Local Democracy Reporters are funded by the BBC so that councils like ours are properly scrutinised. Eddie's reporting reaches residents through Derbyshire Live, the BBC and the Derbyshire Times. Refusing to answer his questions means the council is refusing to answer to residents across the county.
"If a council bans a reporter who wrote about its mistakes, residents are entitled to ask what else it doesn't want them to see. After all, a council confident in its decisions has nothing to fear from a reporter's questions.
"If the council thinks a story is wrong, the proper route is a formal complaint to the editor. Derbyshire Live's editor says she hasn't received one.
"I call on Reform's Cllr Reed and council leader Alan Graves to lift this ban. Dales residents deserve a council that answers their questions, whoever asks them”

11/08/2026

🗺️ Have your say on Amber Valley's new Local Plan - consultation closes tomorrow at 5pm.

We're preparing a new Local Plan that will guide how Amber Valley grows and develops between now and 2044, and we'd like to hear your views.

We want local communities, businesses, landowners, developers and other stakeholders to play an active role in its preparation.

This is your opportunity to tell us what you think the new Local Plan should include and how you'd like us to engage with you throughout the process.

👉 For full details and information on how to take part in the consultation, visit:
https://www.ambervalley.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/new-local-plan-2026-2044/local-plan-scoping-consultation

11/08/2026

11/08/2026

Why are the Liberal Democrats warning of a “bonfire of patient safety” – and how UKHLSI and Curia are examining what the NHS Health Bill could mean in practice.

11/08/2026

17/07/2026

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/your-world/liberal-democrats-slam-government-decision-to-split-amber-valley-area-in-local-government-reorganisation-8804539

“The current local government structure has worked perfectly well since the 1970s and it follows logical boundaries”

16/07/2026

Amber Valley Liberal Democrats slam government decision to split Amber Valley local authority area in local government reorganisation.

Current Chair of Amber Valley Lib Dems, Barry Holliday said:
"This is a ridiculous decision taken by the 'lame duck Labour' government. This decision ignores the wishes of local residents who voted overwhelmingly to reject the idea of Amber Valley being split and the will of the elected councillors of Amber Valley Borough Council who also voted overwhelmingly to keep Amber Valley together and placed within the new northern Unitary Authority.

"The current idea of local government reorganisation is farcical, it wasn't in any party manifesto at the general election, there is no mandate for it, there is no desire for it across the country and there is no reason behind it! The current local government structure has worked perfectly well since the 1970s and it follows logical boundaries, for the most part, between local communities and towns.

"The whole thing is wrongly badged as devolution along with elected metro style mayor's, but is in reality centralisation of local powers away from the residents and closer to Central government. Liberals believe that decisions should be taken at the closest level possible to the people it affects, the new authories could mean decisions affecting residents in Ripley being taken by councillors from Glossop, or residents in Smalley affected by councillors from Swadlincote.

"This smells more of gerrymandering the borders of authorities under the false guise of cost efficency to better suit the 2 party "back and forth" that we suffer from in the UK. Our politics is broken, we desperately need to replace our voting system with a proportional one that better represents the true multi party system the country and Derbyshire needs and this new authority system will break it further! It will not achieve the cost savings hoped for and local borough and district councils have already lost millions of hours looking at these bizarre and unnecessary proposals.

"We implore the Labour controlled Amber Valley Borough council to make urgent representations to the Labour government to abide by the views of the local residents and the borough council and if this ludicrous idea of new Unitary Authoritys has to be followed through then its done in a way which represents the will of the people it affects.

"In the words of Sir Humphrey Appleby in Yes Minister! - "If you're going to do this damned silly thing, don't do it in this damned silly way"."

For more info see here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewrln415lko?at_link_id=9F46087E-8106-11F1-AF1D-AF5616E13C71&at_link_origin=BBC_Derby&at_medium=social&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_campaign_type=owned&at_link_type=web_link&at_format=image&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_bbc_team=editorial&fbclid=Iwb21leATFuHBjbGNrBMW4bWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHuy2VRn0Ueh8Tbbn2pzY5EhNh6FXjeycVMwj9Pd6eoUIPJ2O4sU0MI5MlKDy_aem_hfvMCLfIDM09uwqTzwNu6Q

Local government reorganisation (LGR) will see a council for the north and another for the south, with parts of Amber Valley split.

11/07/2026

Focus on Crich & South Wingfield with Cllr Kate