Who we are & what we do

Horsley is a small, charming Derbyshire village situated 5 miles north of Derby in the Amber Valley area. It has a population of less than 500 and its main street is lined with mature trees. It has a church, a village green with chestnut tree, a primary school, a pub and a quality golf course (with a restaurant and function room) on the outskirts.

Horsley has a flourishing community with a bowls club and a WI who meet on the second Monday of the month. It has an active parish council and walking is a popular activity with some beautiful surrounding countryside.

Horsley boasts one of the most attractive village churches in the county, sitting on a hill, set amongst flowers and trees. Dedicated to St. Clement, it also serves the communities of Coxbench and Kilburn. It dates back to the 13th century but has been restored and altered much over the years. It has a strongly buttressed 14th century tower and spire, a pretty porch with a medieval crucifix and a lovely array of windows with the 15th century clerestory under a handsome parapet of battlements and pinnacles.

The present Church of England school opened in 1828, enlarged in 1874 and is still thriving today. The village pub is called the Coach and Horses, serving food as well as alcohol. There was another pub in Horsley called the Ship Inn, which dated back to 1625, but this is now a private house.

The village possess two rare features. Firstly the stone pillar box on French Lane. It is unique in Derbyshire and possibly England. Second, three fountains given to the village in 1824 by the Rev. Sitwell, a relative of the Sitwells of Stainsby Hall in nearby Smalley. He had arranged for spring water to be pumped from the Old Hills to the village. The fountains are called Blanche, Rosamund and Sophia.

In England alone there are over 9,000 parish councils and town councils. They are the tier of Local Government, which are closest to the people.

Each parish and town council have a limited amount of duties, as they are local authorities. With agreement of the district council or county council, if they decide to use them, the parish and town council have wide powers. These are certain functions normally carried out by those councils.

County and Borough Councils - Who Does What?

Derbyshire County Council is responsible for highways, education, social services, footpaths (rights of way), public transport and libraries.

Amber Valley Borough Council is responsible for planning, building control, refuse, environmental health, council tax, housing benefits, business rates, elections, parks and car parks.

Parish and town councils should maintain a close relationship with the local community. The public are encouraged to be observers at the council meetings, as they are obliged to arrange at least one meeting for the parish or town council each year. Local electors may attend and they may raise issues of concern.

Horsley Parish Council consists of 8 councillors who are elected every four years. All Councillors are voluntary and receive no payment whatsoever.

The Parish Council normally meets on the third Monday of each month at 7.15 pm in Horsley Village Hall

Members of the public are welcome to attend. There is a 15 minute period of public participation at the beginning of each meeting, during which parishioners are able to raise any issue of concern, drawing this to the attention of the council.

Council Meetings - see the diary of meetings for more information.

For further information relating to the services offered by the Parish Council please contact the Parish Clerk.

The next parish elections will be held on Thursday 6 May 2027.

Our councillors are elected or co-opted, if you would like to become a councillor or find out more about what they do then please see details above