The next Derbyshire County Council meeting will include discussions of the appointment of a new chief executive, revisions to standing orders, and budget monitoring. Councillors will also consider public and elected member questions, and several notices of motion.

Appointment of Chief Executive

The council is scheduled to discuss the appointment of a replacement interim Head of Paid Service, effective from 22 December 2025. The council will also consider the appointment of Neil Crittenden as Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service on a fixed-term contract until 31 March 2028. Neil Crittenden is currently Interim Vice President of Alton Towers.

The report pack states that the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee (ACOS) also considered a proposal for an element of performance related pay to be included within the remuneration package for the Chief Executive. The proposed Performance Related Pay Policy for the Chief Executive includes:

• A starting salary of £181,018 per year.
• Between four and six objectives to be set by the Leader of the Council as part of the Chief Executives Performance Development Review.
• Maximum performance related payments of £20,000 (subject to annual nationally agreed pay awards).

The report pack notes that trade unions opposed the introduction of performance-related pay for the Chief Executive.

Revisions to Standing Orders

The council is scheduled to discuss proposed revisions to the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. According to the report pack, these revisions have been developed to:

• Embed the Council's One Council approach to procurement.
• Remove ambiguity in procurement roles, responsibilities and processes.
• Provide clear expectations around contract management.
• Drive consistency, efficiency, and accountability in procurement activity across all directorates.
• Ensure that Council funds are spent compliantly and commercially, and deliver value for money.
• Reflect new statutory obligations introduced by the Procurement Act 2023 ¹, Procurement Regulations 2024 and the Procurement Selection Regime.

Key updates include:

• Upfront approval for non-pipeline procurements.
• Inclusion of digital procurement.
• Introduction of a Consultancy Spend Board.
• Governance for joint procurements.
• A refined contract valuation process.
• Formal guidance on trial procurements and proof of concept initiatives.
• A new structured risk assessment process.
• Strengthened conflict of interest protocols.
• Inclusion of mandatory exit planning for contracts.
• Formal recognition of the role and rules for early market engagement.
• Integration of statutory provisions for excluding suppliers, including the management of the national debarment list.
• Clear inclusion of rules, processes, and exemptions under the new Provider Selection Regime (PSR).
• New provision setting out procedures for when procurements need to be lawfully abandoned.
• Introduction of a risk-based waiver process.
• Inclusion of provisions for the legal transfer of contracts between suppliers.
• Compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 requirement to publish redacted versions of awarded contracts.
• New obligations to publish payment performance and key performance indicators (KPIs) for high-value contracts.
• Introduction of procedures and governance requirements for early contract termination.
• Clear requirements for document control, retention, and audit trails across the full procurement lifecycle.
• Enhanced audit provisions and governance processes.

Performance Monitoring and Budget Monitoring

The council is scheduled to discuss the Performance Monitoring and Budget Monitoring/Forecast Outturn for 2025-26 as at Quarter 2 (30 September 2025). According to the report pack, the forecast net overspend is £1.383m against a Revenue Budget for 2025-26 of £767.684m. The report pack states that savings delivery is on track in most areas, but continuing demand and cost pressures in Children's Social Care will result in expenditure being significantly in excess of budget. The full-year forecast is that Children's Social Care expenditure will be £26.105m in excess of the budget. Adult Social Care is forecasting an increased overspend of £4.887m, offset in part by an underspend of £1.804m in Health and Communities. The forecast overspend in Children's Social Care is offset by a forecast underspend against the Corporate Budgets of £26.553m.

As at Quarter 2, progress against the 25 Strategic Objectives outlined in the 2025-29 Council Plan shows that 20 (80%) have good progress, with 3 requiring review and 2 requiring action.

Decisions Taken as a Matter of Urgency

The council is scheduled to note the decisions taken as a matter of urgency and key decisions with special urgency.

Public Questions

Members of the public have submitted the following questions, which are scheduled to be discussed:

• Mr M Jones to Councillor Joss Barnes, Cabinet Member for Adult Care, regarding community support beds following the closure of Babington Hospital.
• Ms K Hardman to Councillor Carol Wood, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environment, regarding National Grid pylons.
• Mr K Barrow to Councillor Carol Wood, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environment, regarding solar farms.
• Ms L Hopkinson to Councillor Carol Wood, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environment, regarding flood management.
• Mr D Locke to Councillor Carol Wood, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environment, regarding solar farms in Williamthorp.
• Ms J Brown to Councillor Dawn Abbott, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, regarding flags on lampposts in New Mills.
• Ms S Brown to Councillor Dawn Abbott, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, regarding inclusivity and diversity.
• Mr J Wight to Councillor Carol Wood, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environment, regarding fracking.
• Mr D Ingham to Councillor John Lawson, Cabinet Member for Council Efficiency (DOGE), regarding contract expenditure.
• Dr S Hobday to Councillor Carol Wood, Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environment, regarding climate change and public health.

Elected Member Questions

Elected members have submitted the following questions, which are scheduled to be discussed:

• Councillor Ed Fordham to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding flooding in Chesterfield.
• Councillor Ed Fordham to Councillor Dawn Abbott, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, regarding local businesses.
• Councillor Nigel Gourlay to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding Bamford Clough, a byway.
• Councillor Ruth George to Councillor Stephen Reed, Cabinet Member for Business Services, regarding a reporting and casework system.
• Councillor Anne Clarke to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding a potential A6 High Lane Disley Bypass.
• Councillor Jean Wharmby to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding landslips on the Snake Pass.
• Councillor Alex Dale to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding micro-asphalting works in Dronfield.
• Councillor Alex Dale to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding short term contract management savings.
• Councillor Alex Dale to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding prioritisation of residential roads.
• Councillor Alex Dale to Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport, regarding roadmender asphalt.

Notices of Motion

The council is scheduled to consider the following motions:

• Councillor Wayne Major's motion to promote a minimum standard for district and borough councils during the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process, guaranteeing at least a minimum bin size of 240 litres, general (black bin) waste collected fortnightly, and free fortnightly garden waste collections.
• Councillor Martin Bromley's motion to formally oppose the current Willington to Chesterfield pylon route, call on National Grid to reconsider the route and explore less intrusive alternatives, call on National Grid to be made liable for the upgrading costs, call on the Secretary of State for Energy to personally intervene, work with local campaign groups and affected borough councils to amplify community voices, and request a full environmental impact assessment and public inquiry before any planning approval is granted.
• Councillor Dan Price's motion to formally oppose the Labour Government's Digital ID plans, request the Leader of the Council writes to the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Minister for Digital Infrastructure expressing this council's firm opposition to Labour's mandatory Digital ID system and calling for the plans to be scrapped, request Members of Parliament across Derbyshire ask for their firm commitment to oppose Labour's mandatory Digital ID system and ask them to confirm that they will instead advocate for the estimated £4.6b cost to be rediverted in to settling SEND deficits nationally and funding for highways departments, and work with local voluntary, digital inclusion, and civil liberties groups to ensure that no resident in Derbyshire is penalised or excluded because of any national identification scheme.
• Councillor Ed Fordham's motion to undertake an all-party scrutiny review of all bus service provision by Derbyshire County Council with the aim of securing tangible enhancements in the travelling customer experience.