Amber Valley
Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Amber Valley is a local government district with borough status in the east of Derbyshire, England, taking its name from the River Amber. Its council is based in Ripley. The district covers a semi-rural area lying to the north of the city of Derby. The district contains four main towns whose economy was based on coal mining and remains to some extent influenced by engineering, distribution and manufacturing, holding for instance the headquarters and production site of Thorntons confectionery.
The House of Commons constituency of Amber Valley is of smaller scope.
The village of Crich and other parts of the district were the setting for ITV drama series Peak Practice.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as one of nine districts within Derbyshire. The new district covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
- Alfreton Urban District
- Belper Rural District
- Belper Urban District
- Heanor Urban District
- Ripley Urban District
The new district was named Amber Valley, after the River Amber.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> Amber Valley was granted borough status in 1989, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.<ref name="bulletin8889">Template:Cite web</ref>
Governance
Template:Infobox legislature Amber Valley Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Derbyshire County Council. Most of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
Political control
Labour won a majority on the council at the 2023 election, taking control from the Conservatives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>Template:Cite web (Put "Amber Valley" in search box to see specific results.)</ref><ref name=change>Template:Cite news</ref>
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Party name with colour | 1974–1976 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1976–1980 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1980–1987 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1987–1988 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1988–1991 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 1991–2000 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2000–2014 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2014–2015 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2015–2019 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2019–2021 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2021–2023 | |
| Template:Party name with colour | 2023–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Amber Valley. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2002 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Cox<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=17Dec2007/> | Template:Party name with colour | May 2002 | 17 Dec 2007 | |
| Stuart Bradford<ref name=17Dec2007>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=11Jun2014/> | Template:Party name with colour | 17 Dec 2007 | 11 Jun 2014 | |
| Paul Jones<ref name=11Jun2014>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 11 Jun 2014 | May 2015 | |
| Alan Cox<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 20 May 2015 | May 2016 | |
| Kevin Buttery<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 25 May 2016 | May 2019 | |
| Chris Emmas-Williams<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 22 May 2019 | May 2021 | |
| Kevin Buttery<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 19 May 2021 | May 2023 | |
| Chris Emmas-Williams<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Party name with colour | 24 May 2023 | ||
Composition
Following the 2023 election,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and subsequent changes of allegiance and by-elections up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Thorncliffe>Template:Cite web</ref>
The next election is due in 2027.<ref name=Thorncliffe/>
Premises
The council is based at Ripley Town Hall, which had been built in 1881 as a market hall and converted to a town hall for the former Ripley Urban District Council in 1907. A modern extension to the west of the building was added in the 1990s.<ref name=record>Template:Cite web</ref>
Elections
Template:Main Since the last boundary changes in 2023 the council has comprised 42 councillors elected from 18 wards, with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
Towns of Amber Valley
Main villages of Amber Valley
- Ambergate
- Codnor
- Crich
- Denby
- Duffield
- Heage
- Holbrook
- Horsley
- Horsley Woodhouse
- Kedleston
- Kilburn
- Langley Mill
- Lea & Holloway
- Mackworth
- Milford
- Quarndon
- Riddings
- Smalley
- Somercotes
- Swanwick
- Whatstandwell
Parishes
There are 35 civil parishes in the borough, covering almost the whole area. The exception is Riddings, which is an unparished area, being the only part of the former Alfreton Urban District not to have been subsequently added to a parish.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Aldercar and Langley Mill
- Alderwasley
- Alfreton
- Ashleyhay
- Belper
- Codnor
- Crich
- Denby
- Dethick, Lea and Holloway
- Duffield
- Hazelwood
- Heanor and Loscoe
- Holbrook
- Horsley
- Horsley Woodhouse
- Idridgehay and Alton
- Ironville
- Kedleston
- Kilburn
- Kirk Langley
- Mackworth
- Mapperley
- Pentrich
- Quarndon
- Ravensdale Park
- Ripley
- Shipley
- Shottle and Postern
- Smalley
- Somercotes
- South Wingfield
- Swanwick
- Turnditch
- Weston Underwood
- Windley
Arms
Media
In terms of television, the Amber Valley is served by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central broadcasting from the Waltham transmitter.
Radio stations that broadcast to the area are:
- BBC Radio Derby
- Smooth East Midlands
- Capital Midlands
- Greatest Hits Radio Midlands
- Greatest Hits Radio Yorkshire (formerly Peak FM)
- Amber Sound FM, a community station that broadcasts from its studios in Ripley.
The local newspapers are the Ripley & Heanor News,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Belper News<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Derbyshire Times.
See also
References
External links
- Amber Valley Borough Council website
- Amber Valley Centre for Voluntary Services
- Amber Valley Info Web Site
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