The upcoming Derbyshire County Council elections in May look set to be postponed for a year to discuss local Government reorganisation which could involve eight councils being scrapped.

Leicestershire County Council has asked the government to postpone the elections it is due to hold in May as part of plans for a major overhaul of local councils. The authority said delaying the vote would give it time to draw up detailed proposals in response to the government's plans to reorganise local government so every region of England has a mayor.

At least 12 out of 21 county councils due to hold elections in May are poised to ask ministers to delay the ballots to explore options set out in a major redesign of local government announced in December.

The meeting, which took place on Thursday afternoon, discussed the plans and went in favour of the government's Devolution White Paper. The government announced in December it would would like to reorganise how local government works and do away with district and county councils in favour of unitary authorities,

Derbyshire County Council leaders will ask the government to allow it to postpone its elections in May as part of plans to reshape local councils. The authority wants to be considered among the prioritised early tranche of councils that could be merged as part of plans to reorganise local government in England.