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Amber Valley

Coordinates: 53°00′N 1°24′W / 53.00°N 1.40°W / 53.00; -1.40
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the non-metropolitan district in the Midlands of England. For the associated constituency of the UK Parliament, see Amber Valley (UK Parliament constituency). For the community in Canada, see Amber Valley, Alberta.

Borough of Amber Valley
Non-metropolitan district and borough
Ripley, the administrative centre of Amber Valley and the second largest settlement in the borough
Ripley, the administrative centre of Amber Valley and the second largest settlement in the borough
Coat of arms of Borough of Amber Valley
Coat of arms
Shown within Derbyshire
Shown within Derbyshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Ceremonial countyDerbyshire
Admin. HQRipley
Government
 • TypeAmber Valley Borough Council
 • Leadership:Leader & Cabinet
 • MPs:Linsey Farnsworth (Lab, Amber Valley)
Jonathan Davies (Lab, Mid Derbyshire)
John Whitby (Lab, Derbyshire Dales)
Area
 • Total
102 sq mi (265 km2)
 • Rank132nd
Population
 (2022)
 • Total
126,944
 • RankRanked 187th
 • Density1,200/sq mi (480/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[1]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[1]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (British Summer Time)
Postcode
DE, NG
ONS code17UB (ONS) E07000032 (GSS)
Ethnicity97.8% White
0.9% S.Asian[2]

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

[edit]

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:[3]

The new district was named Amber Valley, after the River Amber.[4] Amber Valley was granted borough status in 1989, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[5]

Governance

[edit]
Amber Valley Borough Council
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Steve Marshall-Clarke,
Labour
since 21 May 2025[6]
Chris Emmas-Williams,
Labour
since 24 May 2023
Simon Gladwin
since December 2023[7]
Structure
Seats42 councillors
Political groups
Administration (22)
  Labour (22)

Other parties (20)

  Conservative (9)
  Green (5)
  Belper Independents (2)
  Liberal Democrats (1)
  Reform UK (1)
  Independent (2)
Elections
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley, DE5 3BT
Website
www.ambervalley.gov.uk

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.[8]

Political control

[edit]

Labour won a majority on the council at the 2023 election, taking control from the Conservatives.[9]

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:[10][11]

Party in control Years
Labour 1974–1976
No overall control 1976–1980
Labour 1980–1987
No overall control 1987–1988
Conservative 1988–1991
Labour 1991–2000
Conservative 2000–2014
Labour 2014–2015
Conservative 2015–2019
Labour 2019–2021
Conservative 2021–2023
Labour 2023–present

Leadership

[edit]

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[12][13] Conservative May 2002 17 Dec 2007
Stuart Bradford[13][14] Conservative 17 Dec 2007 11 Jun 2014
Paul Jones[14] Labour 11 Jun 2014 May 2015
Alan Cox[15][16] Conservative 20 May 2015 May 2016
Kevin Buttery[17][18] Conservative 25 May 2016 May 2019
Chris Emmas-Williams[19][20] Labour 22 May 2019 May 2021
Kevin Buttery[21][22] Conservative 19 May 2021 May 2023
Chris Emmas-Williams[23] Labour 24 May 2023

Composition

[edit]

Following the 2023 election,[24] and subsequent changes of allegiance and by-elections up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:[25][26]

Party Councillors
Labour 22
Conservative 9
Green 5
Amber Valley Independents 2
Belper Independents 2
Liberal Democrats 1
Reform UK 1
Total 42

The next election is due in 2027.[26]

Premises

[edit]

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.[27]

Elections

[edit]
Main article: Amber Valley Borough Council elections

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.[28]

Alfreton, the largest settlement in the Amber Valley district
Heanor, the third-largest settlement in Amber Valley
Crich Stand

Towns of Amber Valley

[edit]

Main villages of Amber Valley

[edit]

Parishes

[edit]
Map of Amber Valley district

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.[29]

Arms

[edit]
Coat of arms of Amber Valley
Notes
Granted 18 October 1989 [30]
Crest
On a wreath of the colours the battlements of a tower Proper issuant therefrom between two abbatical crosiers Or an oak tree Proper fructed and ensigned by a crown of fleurs-de-lys Gold.
Escutcheon
Vert a pale wavy Or a bordure Argent charged with five horseshoes Sable on a chief of the second between two lozenges a cresset Sable fired Proper.
Supporters
On the dexter side a unicorn Argent armed and crined Or gorged with a collar pendent therefrom a cross flory Gules and on the sinister side a leopard Proper gorged with a collar Gules pendent therefrom a fleur-de-lys Or.
Motto
Per Laborem Progedimur (We Make Progress Through Hard Work)

Media

[edit]

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:

The local newspapers are the Ripley & Heanor News,[31] Belper News[32] and Derbyshire Times.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Amber Valley Local Authority (E07000032)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ Lead View Table
  3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 31 May 2023
  4. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 31 May 2023
  5. ^ "Bulletin of Changes of Local Authority Status, Names and Areas 1st April 1988–31st March 1989" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Council minutes, 21 May 2025". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Council minutes, 13 December 2023". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  9. ^ Torr, George; Roberts, Georgia (5 May 2023). "Local Elections 2023: Labour big winners across Derbyshire". BBC News. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Amber Valley" in search box to see specific results.)
  11. ^ "Amber Valley". BBC News Online. 19 April 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  12. ^ "New Amber Valley mayor vows support for people". Ripley and Heanor News. 23 May 2002. p. 5. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Council minutes, 17 December 2007". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Council minutes, 11 June 2014". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Council minutes, 20 May 2015". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Amber Valley election: Conservatives retain control". BBC News. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  17. ^ "Council minutes, 25 May 2016". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  18. ^ Harper, Christopher; Bisknell, Eddie (3 May 2019). "Amber Valley Borough Council election results 2019 - Conservatives lose control of the council". Derbyshire Live. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Council minutes, 22 May 2019". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  20. ^ Cooper, Ben (9 May 2021). "Local election 2021 results for Amber Valley Borough Council". Derbyshire Live. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Council minutes, 19 May 2021". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  22. ^ Bisknell, Eddie (10 May 2023). "Labour regains Amber Valley Borough Council and vows to start building council houses in right places". Derbyshire Live. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  23. ^ "Council minutes, 24 May 2023". Amber Valley Borough Council. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  24. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  25. ^ Bisknell, Eddie (13 March 2024). "Amber Valley councillor quits Green Party for Conservatives over opposition to solar farm and in-fighting". Derbyshire Live. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Amber Valley". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  27. ^ "Historic Monument Record: Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley". Derbyshire County Council. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  28. ^ "The Amber Valley (Electoral Changes) Order 2022", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2022/810, retrieved 1 June 2023
  29. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  30. ^ "East Midlands Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Ripley & Heanor News". British Papers. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  32. ^ "Belper News". British Papers. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amber Valley.

53°00′N 1°24′W / 53.00°N 1.40°W / 53.00; -1.40

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