Editing Chesterfield, Derbyshire (section)

==Governance==
Local government in Chesterfield has a two-tier structure. At the upper tier of services such as consumer protection, education, main roads and social services is provided by [[Derbyshire County Council]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/council_works/departments/default.asp |title=Council Departments |access-date=9 February 2009 |publisher=Derbyshire County Council }}</ref> At the lower tier, housing, planning, refuse collection and burial grounds are provided by Chesterfield Borough Council.<ref name=structures>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/default.aspx?CATID=168 |title=Council Structures |access-date=9 February 2009 |publisher=Chesterfield Borough Council |year=2009}}</ref> There are two [[civil parishes]] in the borough, Brimington and Staveley.

[[Derbyshire County Council]] has 64 county councillors<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/County-council-election-results/article-1053166-detail/article.html |title=Derbyshire County Council elections |publisher=thisisderbyshire.co.uk |access-date=5 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608055250/http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/County-council-election-results/article-1053166-detail/article.html |archive-date=8 June 2009}}</ref> and Chesterfield Borough Council 40 local councillors,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://chesterfield.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=136 |title=Council and Democracy |publisher=Chesterfield Borough Council |access-date=21 June 2024}}</ref> both elected every four years.

=== Coat of arms ===
The borough council uses [[coat of arms|armorial bearings]] originally granted to the previous borough corporation by [[letters patent]] dated 10 November 1955.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/derbys.html |title=Derbyshire |access-date=9 February 2009 |work=Civic Heraldry of England and Wales |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016063051/http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/derbys.html |archive-date=16 October 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[blazon]] of the arms is as follows:

<blockquote>Gules a Device representing a Pomegranate Tree as depicted on the ancient Common Seal of the Borough the tree leaved and eradicated proper flowered and fructed Or ''and for the Crest on a Wreath of the Colours'' Issuant from a Mural Crown Gules Masoned Or a Mount Vert thereon a Derby Ram passant guardant proper.
''Supporters'': On the dexter side a Cock and on the sinister side a Pynot or Magpie proper each Ducally gorged Or<ref name=history>{{Cite web |url=http://youandyesterday.com/articles/Chesterfield_Borough_Council_-_Its_Coat_of_Arms_Explained |title=Chesterfield Borough Council – Its Coat of Arms Explained – Bygone Derbyshire |publisher=Bygone Derbyshire |last=Seddon |first=Peter |date=November 2010 |access-date=31 March 2011}}</ref></blockquote>

The shield is based on the borough's ancient common seal, believed to date from the earlier 16th century. The seal depicts a stylised [[pomegranate]] tree. When the arms were formally granted, the [[College of Arms]] expressed the view that the plant had been adopted by the town as a symbol of loyalty to the crown, as it had been a royal badge used by [[Katherine of Aragon]], [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] and [[Mary I of England|Mary Tudor]].<ref name=history/> The crest depicts a [[The Derby Ram (song)|Derby Ram]], representing the county of Derbyshire, and a [[mural crown]], suggestive of a town wall and thus borough status.<ref name=history/> The [[supporters]] represent the ''Cock and Pynot Inn'', [[Old Whittington]]. The now ''Cock and Magpie Inn'' (53°16'13.1"N 1°25'34.3"W) is next to ''Revolution House'', which was the site of a meeting between conspirators against [[James II of England|James II]] in 1688. Among those meeting there were the [[Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds|Earl of Danby]] and [[William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire|Devonshire]], marked by ducal crowns round the supporters' necks. The two birds stand on a [[compartment (heraldry)|compartment]] of rocks and moorland.<ref name=history/> The motto is "Aspire", a punning reference to the crooked spire of the parish church.<ref name=history/>

===Combined authority===
In March 2016 the borough council began a bid to join the [[Sheffield City Region Combined Authority]], which was due to receive devolved powers. Derbyshire County Council opposed this and sought legal advice.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/grassroots/county-council-takes-legal-advice-over-chesterfield-devolution-deal-1-7792475 |title=County council takes legal advice over Chesterfield devolution deal |newspaper=Derbyshire Times |access-date=1 June 2013 |archive-date=19 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519113312/http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/county-council-takes-legal-advice-over-chesterfield-devolution-deal-1-7792475 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In June 2017 Chesterfield Council withdrew its application, but is now a non-constituent partner.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidlands/news/2003126-chesterfield-snubs-chance-join-sheffield-city-region |title=Chesterfield snubs chance to join Sheffield City Region |date=2017-06-14 |website=TheBusinessDesk.com (East Midlands) |language=en |access-date=2024-06-21}}</ref>