Who we are & what we do

Belper Town Council came into existence on the 1 April 1974 as a result of the Local Government Act 1972 and its reorganisation of Local Government. Under the act the Belper Urban District Council was abolished and its powers and functions transferred to the newly created Amber Valley Borough Council and Belper Town Council.

The Council has an office at St Johns Chapel, The Butts, Belper, which is open to the public Monday to Friday 9.30am to 12.30pm. The Council also manages the Heritage Centre which is also in the Chapel.

The 16 members of the Town Council are currently elected to serve for a term of four years. The current Council was elected on 4th May 2023. The Full Council meets on the second Tuesday of each month, (apart from August), at 7.00pm please see the individual agenda for the meeting place as these can alternate between the ward areas. Members of the public are invited to attend Council meetings, and can speak if they wish. View public speaking guidance

Notices of meetings are placed in the Council Noticeboards outside the Chapel, on King Street, Belper and in Milford. You can view a PDF of the schedule of meetings here Council meetings calendar. Agendas for all meetings are also published on this website.

What we do

The Council maintains the Memorial Gardens on King Street, the Market Place, the Coppice and Gibfield Lane car parks, the Public Toilets on Strutt Street and the Triangle at Milford. The Council looks after the War Memorials in Belper and Milford. It organises the Summer floral displays and Christmas Lights in Belper and Milford and it co-ordinates the Town's entry into the annual East Midlands in Bloom competition. the Council also organises the two annual Food Festivals, the Remembrance Day Parade, the Christmas light switch on and the open air Christmas Eve Carol Service. The Town Council works closely with Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council to improve the Town and by maintaining some footpaths and grit bins around the Town.

The Council has five committees

• The Youth Committee advises the Council and its Committees on the needs of young residents and supports organisations providing assistance to young people
• The Neighbourhood Plan Committee - see the Neighbourhood Plan Page
• The Herbert Strutt Charity Committee - see the Herbert Strutt Charity Committee Page
• The Finance, Governance and Staff Committee is responsible for the Council's policy, its expenditure and precept monies: the preparation of the annual budget and all personnel matters.
• The Facilities, Environment and Local Economy Committee is responsible for all matters relating to the Town Council's various facilities including the Public toilets on Strutt Street, the Market Place, the Memorial Gardens, the Allotments, footpaths and the Town Council's car parks as well as environment initiatives and initiatives to make Belper a vibrant local economy.
• The Arts, Events and Heritage Committee is responsible for the management and maintenance of:
  • The Council's events
  • East Midlands in Bloom and the Council's Floral Displays
  • Christmas lights and festivities
  • the Councils support of the World Heritage site
  • To promote tourism in the Town
  • To support Arts and culture in the Town
• The Planning Committee is responsible for considering
  • all planning applications within the Town and recommend comments to Full Council
  • reviewing and utilising the Towns Neighbourhood Plan
  • engaging with large developers within in the Town

Full Council

Full Council meetings take place at 7pm on the second Tuesday of every month at St Johns Chapel, The Butts, Belper.

Members of the public are welcome to attend and listen or address the Council in the Public Speaking section of the Meeting.

Full Council is responsible for:

• Approving the Council's monthly payments
• Approving recommendations on Planning Applications comments
• Considering and commenting on consultations from Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council
• Considering Derbyshire Association of Local Councils Circulars
• Approving the Council's annual budget
• Approving the Council's fees and charges
• Setting the Council's precept
• Approving the Annual Return
• Approving all Council expenditure that is not delegated to the Council's Committees or Officers
• Considering general correspondence sent to the Council
• Considering reports from the Councillors appointed to outside bodies

View Full Council Minutes and Agendas

Annually, usually in May, The Council holds its Annual General Meeting. At this meeting the Council appoints the Mayor and deputy Mayor for the year, appoints Members to its committees, sets its meeting dates for the coming year and reviews and approves its main policies including its Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.

The Annual Parish Meeting

The Annual Parish meeting is held in May.

The Annual Parish Meeting is not a council meeting and is different to the AGM of the Parish Council which is held after the Annual Parish Meeting. It is a meeting of the Parish or Town electors. Electors can contribute to the agenda and in practice these meetings often celebrate local activities and debate current issues in the community. The Mayor of the Town Council, any two Councillors or any six electors can call the Annual Parish or Town Meeting. The Mayor of the Town Council, if present, will chair the meeting.

View Annual Parish Minutes and Agendas

Our committees have specific tasks and can have delegated powers.

Contracts the Town Council has with various companies can be found by contacting the Town Clerk.

We have a small team who work together to deliver the range of services we provide. They can be contacted through our office at St Johns Chapel, by phone or email.

We value our staff and as such will not tolerate violence or abuse of our staff. See our Zero Tolerance Policy.