Derbyshire Dales Council Defends Temporary Traveller Sites Following County Council’s “Strong Objection”

Derbyshire Dales District Council has asserted the validity of its proposal to designate four locations within the district for temporary use by traveller families, following a “strong objection” from the county council. The district authority called upon Derbyshire County Council to “respect the democratic process.” Furthermore, the district council stated that the county council bore some responsibility for previous shortcomings in resolving the issue, after the county body had advised the Dales to reconsider its proposals. Earlier this month, councillors from the Dales provisionally approved the allocation of these sites for traveller families. Should full planning permission be secured, these four locations – situated in Rowsley, Matlock, Matlock, and Middleton by Wirksworth – are intended for use over a two-year period, pending the establishment of a permanent site. The county council expressed specific apprehensions regarding the Rowsley car park, which is situated between Matlock and Bakewell. Carolyn Renwick, who holds the position of cabinet member for infrastructure and environment, conveyed that she was “surprised and dismayed” by the resolution. She stated, “It is well used by local people and visitors…I just do not think this is the right place to offer as a traveller’s site, and we call on the district council to have another look at their plans.” Renwick continued, “We’ve been working hard to make the White Peak Loop a real attraction for walking, cycling and horse riding, with new sections about to be opened so that people can get from Matlock to Buxton, then across to the High Peak Trail and back to Matlock. This decision does not help our ambitions for this at all.” A spokesperson for the district council remarked, “To put the county council’s claims about access to the White Peak Loop into context, the car park at Rowsley, when empty, has 29 spaces.” Rowsley, in conjunction with the three other prospective temporary sites that received endorsement at a full district council meeting last week, is now set to proceed through a statutory planning process, where the county council will participate as a consultee. The ongoing search for a permanent site, which has spanned decades, will persist concurrently with the application for planning permission for the temporary locations, a procedure anticipated to last for several months.