Derbyshire Conservatives have voted through a 12% reduction in the allowances paid to County Councillors with special responsibilities, reversing the increase Labour Councillors had given themselves after getting into power in 2013.

The change will see an average reduction of 12% for Councillors holding Cabinet Member and Cabinet Support Member positions, making a saving to the council of just under £29,000 per year. Former Deputy Cabinet Member positions have been replaced with new Cabinet Support Member roles.

Commenting, the Council Leader Cllr Barry Lewis said: "One of Labour's first acts after getting into power in 2013 was to give their senior Councillors a big fat pay-rise. One of our first acts as a new administration is to reverse it.

"Our new Cabinet structure reflects the changing needs and priorities of this council and with this change we are making savings.

"Our aim is to deliver services that Derbyshire people need, providing value for money and most importantly, improving life for local people.

"We've hit the ground running since being elected earlier this month and have already started to implement some of the changes we said we would make, including abolishing charges at household waste recycling centres and stopping the introduction of parking charges in Matlock Bath.

"We'll be putting more into the highways budget to improve the state of our roads and investing in new care homes to deliver high quality care in Derbyshire that will meet future needs."

"We'll be taking every opportunity to work with other authorities and forge new relationships and we're already starting to plan a referendum for the people of Chesterfield, where we'll ask them to give their views on joining the Sheffield City Region."