About Planning in the Derbyshire Dales
The Derbyshire Dales – Context
The District of Derbyshire Dales covers an area of approximately 800 square kilometres and has a population of approximately 69,500. The population of the District has grown by some 3,000 since 1991, however with a population density of only 88 residents per square kilometre, the Derbyshire Dales is one of the most sparsely populated rural districts in England.
The District covers a large and diverse area of countryside. It stretches from Stanage Edge on the outskirts of Sheffield in the north, to the River Dove on the Staffordshire border some 44 miles to the south. It contains a number of small towns (such as Matlock, Wirksworth, Ashbourne and Bakewell) with populations upto 10,000. Most of the population however, resides in more than 100 small and medium sized villages with populations between 50 and 1,500, evenly distributed throughout the district.
Over half of the District lies within the Peak District National Park for which the Peak District National Park Authority are a planning authority in their own right. Derbyshire Dales District Council is the planning authority for those areas of the District outside of the Peak District National Park.
Planning Areas in the District
Click Here for Larger Scale Plan
The Purpose of Planning
The planning system is essentially concerned with regulating the development and use of land in the public interests. In this regard, it seeks to achieve a number of objectives:-
To ensure that sufficient land is available for development to meet the needs of the community.
To avoid the wasteful use of land.
To ensure that development takes place where services i.e. roads, schools and public transport etc. are available or can be readily provided.
To protect the community from harmful or hazardous development.
To secure good design and protect the environment.
In securing these objectives, the roles of the relevant authorities need to be clarified.
The Role of Derbyshire Dales District Council
We specifically deal with all planning issues outside the Peak District National Park, including :-
- Planning applications;
- Planning appeals;
- Planning enforcement include complaints about breaches of planning control;
- Planning policy formulation;
- Development briefs;
- Supplementary planning guidance;
- Conservation areas and listed buildings;
- Tree and hedgerow preservation;
- Grants for conservation.
The Role of Derbyshire County Council
Derbyshire County Council are the strategic planning authority, the Highway Authority and the Minerals Planning Authority. Their responsibilities therefore include:-
- Preparation of the Structure Plan, the Minerals Local Plan and the Waste Disposal Local Plan;
- Transportation and highways planning policies and proposals;
- Exercising planning controls over minerals and waste disposal applications (outside the Peak District National Park);
Peak Park & Local Planning Authority Areas
National Park Authorities undertake all the planning powers of both County Councils and District Councils within their areas with the exception of transportation and highway planning matters.
If you have an enquiry regarding Planning you can contact us on 01629 761100, e-mail us at Planning@derbyshiredales.gov.uk, or visit or write to us at:-
Derbyshire Dales District Council
Town Hall
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 3NN
(Office hours are 9am - 5pm)
Alternatively, you can use the online form below. Once you submit the form, your request will be forwarded automatically to one of our officers.
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