Councillor Cautions Peak District Villages Risk Becoming “Museums” Without New Housing

A councillor has issued a warning that villages within the Peak District risk becoming “museums” if the approval of new housing developments does not occur. On Thursday, the Derbyshire Dales District Council discussed a forthcoming new Local Plan proposed by the Peak District National Park Authority, designed to detail prospective development within the region over the coming decades. Approximately half of both the population and land area of the Derbyshire Dales are situated within the national park, where the authority, rather than the council, holds planning jurisdiction. Councillor Peter O’Brien stated that Peak District villages require “nourishing” through new housing and questioned why “market housing, housing to buy, is virtually banned in the national park”. This discussion follows reports to the BBC from local residents detailing the difficulties families encounter in accessing homeownership, alongside an increasing trend of properties in the Dales being utilized as second homes and holiday rentals. Dee Goddard, 31, residing in Curbar, Derbyshire, informed the BBC that the scarcity of housing, impacting both availability and affordability, has driven her family to the brink of “giving up”. During the meeting, which was attended by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, O’Brien further commented: “The lifeblood has been sucked out of many of our communities because many working families cannot find homes they can afford to buy or rent, so they have no choice but to vote with their feet.” O’Brien, who serves as a representative for Eyam, Grindleford, Stoney Middleton, and Hathersage on the district council, stated: “We are sleepwalking into a future where our villages become museum pieces, beautifully preserved, but that is about all.” He also questioned: “What damage is a sensibly designed, well-constructed new building that a local family in my village can buy?” The park authority’s current proposals do not involve designating specific locations for housing, unlike practices by other local authorities; instead, they outline certain “exception sites” and permit provisions exclusively for “affordable housing” initiatives. Furthermore, the authority aims to maintain a policy requiring prospective buyers to demonstrate a 10-year local connection to the Peak District to be eligible for affordable housing. O’Brien described this requirement as not “realistic,” asserting that it compels individuals to live “in expensive rented accommodation in order to prove their commitment to the community.” Councillor David Chapman, who is also a member of the park authority, commented: “It is not strictly true that the Peak Park doesn’t encourage housing development.” He cited examples, stating: “We have got the Bakewell development, the Hartington development, we’ve got the Tideswell development – a local needs development for 30 houses.” Several additional measures and limitations have also been put forward to address the challenge of housing availability in the Dales, such as the council’s vote to raise taxes for individuals owning second homes. Further restrictions, supported by the former Conservative government, would mandate that homeowners seek planning permission to convert their properties into holiday lets. The district council has called upon the new Labour administration to introduce this legislation in the House of Commons. For further updates, follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or through WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.