Constantly developing – how planning continues to shape our past and future

Hayfield village.

Protecting THE PEAK

The Peak District National Park contains some of Britain’s most beautiful, best-loved landscapes; its special qualities have been protected by the UK’s highest level of policy and planning law since 1951. Head of Planning Brian Taylor talks to Alison Riley about what it takes to protect and care for the first national park.

“ Our national parks were founded in the same post-war social reforms that saw the creation of council housing and the NHS,” says Brian. “We owe much to those who campaigned over the decades and to pioneering planners for the national parks we enjoy today. If we could speak to them now, I wonder if they would agree it’s as much about communicating as it is about complying with the law.”

Brian, who hails from a rural community in the Lake District, started working for the Peak District National Park Authority as a village officer over 20 years ago, and until recently was head of policy and communities. Now in the Authority’s lead planning role, which encompasses both policy and development control, Brian knows it requires a joined up approach. He says: “It’s about making sure we have a good policy and regulatory framework for our statutory purpose – to protect and care for the National Park – and to deliver this through our planning services by providing specialist conservation advice.

“We deliver policy on the ground through landscape scale partnerships like the Moors for the Future Partnership and the South West Peak Landscape Partnership. We also manage small incremental changes and protect the detail that helps conserve the character of the National Park. We do this by advising, informing and influencing individuals and land managers to achieve positive outcomes for the environment, for communities, partner organisations and businesses.”

The Authority receives around 1,000 planning applications each year. Brian says: “We approve around 80% of planning applications and most of the decisions are made by our planning officers. Applications which are large, controversial, or go against policy are decided by Planning Committee.”

Brian and his colleagues are keen to share that good planning protection and conservation can just as easily be about what you don’t see, as much as what you can. Behind every single decision will be a considered thought process, consultations, negotiations, paperwork and sometimes court cases that take place away from the landscape but ultimately aim to protect it.

After work, Brian Taylor likes to get out and enjoy the Peak District.

Together we can do so much

Partnerships and collaborations have been and still are essential in making good things happen in the Peak District National Park.

There have been so many, great and small, over the 70 years with farmers, residents, landowners, parish councils, community groups, volunteers, campaign groups, businesses, large estates, power and water companies.

One giant-sized project has been removing huge high voltage pylons. National Grid put high voltage lines through the Woodhead former rail tunnels, removing structures from the high, open moors, and in the latest stage we are supporting the removal of seven pylons near Dunford Bridge.

Standing up for the landscape for 70 years

Over the years, the National Park has faced many development challenges.

In the 1950s, there were hopes for an international motor racing circuit centering on Parsley Hay, near Hartington – now host to one of our most popular cycle hire locations.

The picturesque Longdendale valley was at the heart of proposals in the 1970s and 80s for a large scale electricity pumped storage scheme on the moors above the valley.

In the 1990s, the Authority turned down plans to extend Eldon Hill quarry.

The 2000s saw a landmark court ruling in our favour to protect Longstone Edge, limiting the amount of rock quarry companies could remove.

And in 2018, the Authority’s planning team won a national award from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) for our outstanding achievement in protecting a cultural heritage landscape with the Stanton Moor Principles.

Backdale Quarry.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place

The Peak District is a major source of limestone and the National Park Authority is one of the largest mineral planning authorities in England. However, many quarry permissions were granted before the area was formally designated. In fact, the National Park boundary itself was drawn around Tunstead Quarry near Buxton – it had been worked since 1929, and by 1973 was the largest in Europe.

Affordable housing

In the 1990s and 2000s the Authority’s policy planners pioneered the approach to local needs affordable housing, whilst avoiding the high pressure for open market housing in the National Park. This work led to similar policies being put in place across UK National Parks, winning RTPI awards in the process for policies, guidance and innovative use of legal agreements.

The Authority continues to work closely with local councils to create well designed affordable homes that fit beautifully within the National Park environment. You can see good examples in villages throughout the National Park, for example in Bakewell, Bradfield, Bradwell, Edale, Waterhouses, Youlgrave and more.

Grand designs

Our design guides promote good architectural design. Together with supplementary guidance, we help householders and developers get it right.

In the 1990s, the David Mellor cutlery factory was built at Hathersage. It is a circular building with a lead (or lead lookalike) roof, designed by Sir Michael Hopkins. It stands on the site of the village’s former gas holder (a circular structure). Thirty years later, it still looks great.

In 2018, the Contour House in Baslow, built in a linear shape and using local stone for its walls and roof, won our Best Residential Scheme in our popular design awards.

Going forward we want to push on with an approach to more sustainable design working closely with local agents.

National parks

All UK national parks have two key ‘purposes’ under the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act: • To conserve and enhance natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage. • To promote opportunities for people to understand and enjoy their special qualities. The legislation allows us to manage the impact of development on landscape and biodiversity, and enables us to conserve and enhance cultural heritage, including buildings in settlements.

www.nationalparks.uk

The pioneers

Ethel Haythornthwaite, John Dower (pictured), John Foster and others were true pioneers of planning and policy whose efforts helped create the National Parks we know today. Read more in their profiles at www.

peakdistrict.gov.uk/70People70Years

More information

For planning advice in the Peak District National Park, email customer. service@peakdistrict.gov.uk or call 01629 816200. You can find out more at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/planning