The Scrutiny Committee of Derbyshire Dales Council met on Thursday 18 September 2025. Councillors were scheduled to discuss the council's work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year, and the corporate performance and key performance indicators for the first quarter of 2025/26. The committee was also expected to confirm arrangements for task and finish groups established to progress reviews identified in the work programme.

Q1 25-26 Corporate Performance Report

The committee was scheduled to consider the Q1 25-26 Corporate Performance Report, which summarises performance against the Derbyshire Dales Plan targets and key performance indicators (KPIs) for Quarter 1 (1 April to 30 June 2025). The report also included an overview of other corporate projects.

The Derbyshire Dales Plan 2024-28, which was adopted by the council on 25 July 2024, sets out the council's priorities:

• A thriving environment in the Derbyshire Dales
• Housing that meets the needs of Dales residents
• Prosperous and sustainable Dales communities and businesses
• Resources and services to enable communities to flourish
• A financially sound, fair and responsive District Council

The plan initially identified 98 priority projects and activities. An update on 8 May 2025 focused attention and resources on key Progressive Alliance priorities¹. These high-priority areas are:

• Affordable Housing
• Local Plan
• Environment

The Q1 25-26 Corporate Performance Report stated that 24 corporate plan projects had been completed during the first year, and the vast majority (54.1%) were on track to complete in full or on time in the coming years. There were 76 corporate plan projects in progress at the start of the 2025/26 financial year.

The council's KPIs are intended to measure its general organisational health. A new suite of KPIs was introduced from April 2024, covering areas such as staff turnover, street cleaning, waste collection, planning applications, and council tax collection. A new KPI dashboard was used for the first time in Quarter 3 2024/25.

The Q1 25-26 Corporate Performance Report included detail from the KPI dashboard on progress and trends over time. It stated that targets had been achieved for 12 indicators in Quarter 1, but six targets were not achieved. Information was unavailable for seven indicators.

The report recommended that the committee note the outturn performance against the Derbyshire Dales Plan targets and KPIs for 2025/26, and that reports continue to be presented to highlight progress, demonstrate good performance, and address areas for improvement.

Scrutiny Work Plan 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Scrutiny Report Work Programme, which provided an update on the work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year.

At a meeting on 19 June 2025, the committee agreed to prioritise the following:

• Review KPI reports quarterly
• Carry out a review of consultation and engagement processes
• Carry out a review of experience of flooding within the Derbyshire Dales
• Develop an understanding of the relationship between Derbyshire Dales District Council (DDDC) and East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)² and council engagement with EMCCA Consultations

The Scrutiny Report Work Programme stated that limited progress had been made on some of the areas identified for review. It was suggested that the work stream be reprioritised so that understanding the relationship between DDDC and EMCCA is considered before the review of experience of flooding.

The committee was asked to confirm that Councillor Peter Dobbs, Councillor Nick Whitehead, Councillor Joanne Linthwaite, and Councillor Edwards-Walker would participate in the task group for the review of consultation and engagement processes.

The committee was also asked to confirm that Councillor David Hughes, Councillor Gee, Councillor Laura Mellstrom and Councillor Peter Slack would participate in the task group for the review of experience of flooding within the Derbyshire Dales. Meetings to progress this review would commence later in the year once the other higher priority reviews were underway.

The committee was asked to confirm that Councillor Roger Shelley, Councillor Geoff Bond, Councillor Neil Buttle, Councillor Gee and Councillor O'Brien would participate in the review task group looking at the relationship between DDDC and EMCCA.

The report recommended that the committee note the update on the work programme for 2025/26 and amend the previously agreed priorities so that work on the reviews on consultation and engagement and the relationship with EMCCA commence before the review on flooding. It also recommended that the committee approve the terms of reference and task group membership for the reviews identified in the work programme.

Review of Consultation and Engagement Processes

The terms of reference for the review of consultation and engagement processes stated that Derbyshire Dales is a small predominantly rural district council covering a large geographical area . It noted that the council carries out regular consultation exercises, including a residents' survey every two years, focus groups with members of the public, and an online panel.

However, there was concern that effective, meaningful, relevant and inclusive consultation could be achieved to higher standards of precision, on specific issues of community concern . Examples included the Ashbourne Air Quality Action Plan, traveller and gypsy temporary site locations, and the revised Derbyshire Dales Local Plan.

The overall aim of the scrutiny investigation was to enable the council to learn from lessons both within the authority's direct experience, but also from good practice elsewhere, to ensure effective, cost-effective, inclusive and meaningful information is derived from carefully planned consultation.

Review of Experience of Flooding within the Derbyshire Dales

The draft terms of reference stated that some councillors had raised concerns about the advice that the Local Lead Flood Authority (LLFA) provides to DDDC regarding issues concerning water run-off and foul water drainage.

Four fundamental issues had been raised:

1. The LLFA does not appear to understand the natural water flows and the soughs³ and drains used to carry water from springs, surface water runoff and foul water.
2. The apparent failure of the LLFA to adequately assess proposals from developers.
3. The failure to insist on drainage plans at application stage, with a reliance on post-application submission.
4. The failure to return to evaluate whether the plans have been followed, and perhaps more importantly, that the drainage plans are working.

The overall aim was to determine whether the recommendations and advice provided by the LLFA is fit for purpose.

Relationship Between East Midlands County Combined Authority (EMCCA) and Derbyshire Dales District Council

The draft terms of reference stated that the aim was to understand the trajectory and speed of EMCCA, to ensure that workstreams currently being undertaken by DDDC are 'transitioned' as smoothly as possible, and that opportunities for the Mayoral authority to learn from and develop from our Council's knowledge and work are able to be taken advantage of .

The following areas had been identified for consideration based upon the EMCCA delivery themes:

1. Business Growth and the East Midlands Vision for Growth.
2. Net zero transition/climate resilience.
3. Housing and Regeneration
4. Spatial Development – Guiding principles for well-planned and balanced growth.
5. EMCCA Prospectus for Public Service Reform.