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Sep 1st 2010 No to Hattersley Tesco
Plans for a huge new Tesco at Hattersley will bring mayhem to an already traffic choked area on the edge of the Peak District. We are urging Tameside Council to turn down plans for a new 8,750 square metre store, plus car parking, petrol station and new access roads.
The traffic problems on the A628 are already horrendous and the last thing we need is an enormous new supermarket which would bring even more cars in to the area. The Highways Agency appears to believe that there would be no significant traffic impacts on the trunk route despite the fact that car trips are expected to arrive from Stalybridge, Hyde and further afield.
Hattersley lies on the edge of the Peak District with stunning countryside to the north and east. The new development would be built on open land along Hyde Road and beside Hurstclough Brook, which is Protected Green Space and separates Hattersley from Mottram. Local people value Hurstclough Brook and its woodland because they link Hattersley to the moors and provide a green space for recreation and children’s play.
We’ve also got serious concerns about what a Tesco of this scale will do to the “soul” of Hattersley. This large new store will suck the life out of surrounding local shops, small centres and the rural economy nearby.
The planning application is now being considered by Tameside Council. We've written a strong and detailed letter of objection and are urging local people to write to the council too to lobby for it to be refused. You can view the planning application on Tameside Council's website.
Aug 16th 2010 Clock ticking for Cowdale
Developers have resubmitted controversial plans for a bottling factory at Cowdale Quarry near Buxton but we remain opposed.
Express Park Buxton initially applied to High Peak Borough Council in the spring, but were sent away to get more details about the impact the project would have on the environment. We say that their new information is muddled and inconsistent – and it makes no difference to our arguments. The clock is ticking now for Cowdale, and we are urging people to oppose the development. It goes against the council’s own planning policies, and will destroy a tranquil spot of local countryside.
Cowdale Quarry is popular with local people for walking, climbing, picnicking and other recreational activities. It has not been quarried since the nineteen fifties and the site has reverted back to nature. Any large industrial buildings there would be visible from the Peak District National Park. Cowdale is part of a really important buffer zone between the Peak Park and Buxton and we must stop industrial sprawl, noise and light pollution affecting our national park.
We are also worried because proposals for the five hectare water bottling plant here will eventually be part of a larger 20 hectare industrial estate. The bottling factory is just the start. Phase two of the plans are for an even larger industrial estate that would include extensive offices, business units and car parking.
The planning application is now being considered by High Peak Borough Council. We are among many local people and groups, including Keep High Peak Green and Cowdale Parish Council, lobbying to get it refused. Please object to the plans at High Peak Borough Council or get in touch with our planning officer John King.
Jul 28th 2010 High Peak housing targets
We're urging High Peak Borough Council to think again about plans to build thousands of new houses in much-loved local landscapes. High Peak is in the process of updating its Core Strategy – the main planning policy that sets out an overall vision for the future of the borough. The strategy includes proposals for 6,000 houses mainly concentrated in and around Glossop, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Buxton.
We welcome the fact that the Core Strategy recognises the importance of conserving the environment. High Peak is close to the Peak District National Park, and its own landscapes are also attractive in their own right. But because it is sandwiched between the National Park and Greater Manchester, there’s a lot of pressure to build new houses for commuters and people from outside the area. We’re fully behind the need for a small number of new, affordable houses for local people, but only 20 – 30% of these targets are for affordable homes.
Recent government changes to the planning system mean that local councils are no longer tied to regional housing targets, and can now decide on numbers for themselves. So we say that this is a great opportunity for High Peak to get their housing numbers right for the countryside. They should go back to the drawing board, and do an up-to-date housing needs survey. Then they can work out how many people locally need houses and plan to just build this number.
To find out more, contact John King.
Jul 5th 2010 Good first hydro meeting
We organised a successful consultation event about forming a new Peak Hydro Forum on 3 July. It was well attended by a mix of site-owners and managers plus other groups interested in things like ecology, sustainability and archaeology.
There was plenty of enthusiasm for forming a Peak District wide forum to help promote good practice in micro hydro and encourage more schemes to be developed. We'll be arranging a follow up meeting shortly to look at the aims, structure and status of the forum.
We're working jointly with Sustainable Bakewell, and if you want to get involved please contact Andy Tickle or fill in an initial survey at www.peakhf.org.uk
We'll also be holding some workshops about micro hydro in the autumn to spread the word, so watch this space...
Jun 23rd 2010 New green affordable houses in Youlgrave
We're giving our backing to plans for eight new homes for local people in Youlgrave which would have brilliant green design features.
If the Peak District National Park Authority approves the plans, then six houses and two bungalows could be built at Conksbury Lane on the edge of the village. The north, east and west walls would have small windows and be highly insulated to reduce loss of heat. The southern facing walls would have large double glazed windows to harness heat from the sun. Deciduous trees would be planted in front to provide shade in the summer, but allow in daylight during the rest of the year.
We think this is a great little scheme. We love the passive solar heating and also think the houses would fit in the national park well. They would be built of natural stone and incorporate traditional features such as stone lintels and sills, so they’d suit this Peak District limestone village.
But equally importantly, the houses will meet a vital demand for more affordable homes for people living in and around Youlgrave. According to a survey done by Derbyshire Dales District Council, there’s a need for nine new dwellings in the village, so they are crucially important for local people.
We're also satisfied that the site is the best place for the houses. Other possible sites were either unsuitable in planning terms, or else the landowners wouldn’t sell. There was a thorough search of the village. Although this is a greenfield site, it’s right between existing houses and bungalows, so it won’t significantly spoil landscape views.
The plans are also supported by both Sustainable Youlgrave and Youlgrave Parish Council.
The Peak District National Park Authority is expected to make a decision about the application in the next couple of months.
May 25th 2010 Planning Help launched!
We're launching our brand new Planning Help service this week. It aims to give clear, impartial information and advice to local people about planning applications that could affect local countryside.
“We’re a charity that exists to look after our local landscapes,” explains John King, our Planning Officer at Friends of the Peak District. “So we’re not going to be able to give people advice about their own individual housing extensions! But if you’re worried about a planning application for, say, a new building development in an area of valued countryside then we can tell you about the steps you need to take to fight it.”
Although we have campaigned successfully to stop many developments that would compromise our landscapes, we've also supported planning applications for things like affordable housing and green energy projects.
“There may well be planning applications that people want to support too: for instance, plans for affordable housing, or expanding a village post office to keep it viable,” adds John King. “If you know there’s some opposition you might not want to keep quiet, and again we can talk through how to get involved in the planning system.”
Have a look at our Planning Help pages first - and then if you need to, give us a ring on 0114 266 5822 on Thursday afternoons between 2pm and 5pm.
May 12th 2010 Snake Pass mast: good
We're giving the thumbs up to a new unobtrusive emergency services mast at the top of Snake Pass.
The four metre high mast discretely doubles up with an existing road sign, whilst a generator and liquid petroleum gas tank are buried under the ground.
We think it’s a great bit of work. Coldharbour Moor is probably one of the wildest areas of the Peak District. It’s a Special Area of Conservation and protected Natural Zone. The original plans for the mast and buildings were really intrusive and would have ruined this precious landscape, so we want to thank the police and others for coming up with a sensitive solution that works for everyone.
We were appalled at the original plans in 2006 for a six and a half metre mast, brand new lay-by and highly visible metal cabins to house equipment, and fought to get them improved. Over the last four years, Derbyshire Constabulary have made five different planning applications. The Peak District National Park Authority finally okayed the latest plans last summer.
“It’s a win-win situation. The police and other emergency services can now get full reception across this area, whilst this last bit of wilderness at the Snake Pass summit remains pretty much unspoilt for walkers and everyone else who values it,” says our planning officer, John King.
Apr 28th 2010 JOB DONE!
We're celebrating repairs to a much-loved piece of moorland on the edge of Sheffield. We've been campaigning for two years against 4x4 drivers and trail bikers devastating a precious area of Houndkirk Moor near Ringinglow. Irresponsible drivers have been wrecking an area of open moorland just above Parson House Farm which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. They created an off-road playground for themselves, and we said they had to be stopped.
A team from the Moors for the Future Project has just finished fencing off the area, repairing the battered ground, and helping the heather to regenerate. They have also put in stiles so walkers can still use the two footpaths there. After raising awareness of the damage, we met with Natural England, the Peak District National Park Authority and Sheffield City Council to work out what to do to stop off-roaders and protect the land.
"Moors for the Future have done a brilliant job! We really want to thank them for the hard work. Fingers crossed, those off-roaders will now steer clear of Houndkirk,” says John King, our Planning Officer.
We've now has our sights set firmly on other Peak District spots that are being carved up by off-roaders. We’re lobbying for action at places like Chapel Gate near Edale and Long Causeway at Stanage Edge. The Peak District National Park Authority and Derbyshire County Council have published their plans for managing eight of the worst affected routes, but we’re disappointed that nothing’s being done yet.
We're campaigning for: the most sensitive routes to be closed to 4x4s and trail bikes; the police to take firmer action against illegal off-roading; and innovative solutions such as developing less-sensitive areas for off-roading.
Find out more or to join our Off-Roading Campaign, please contact John King.
Apr 19th 2010 Yo ho ho
We've launched our 2010 Christmas photo competition already....
We're looking for outstanding Peak District images with a wintry or festive angle, including photos of people, animals and landscapes. We'll pick two winning photos and make them into Christmas cards that we'll start selliing in the autumn to support our work looking after the Peak District. Feel free to interpret this as broadly as you like, but please remember that ultimately the picture needs to make a good card for us to sell.
Prizes
- 10 packs of six Friends of the Peak District Christmas cards - featuring your photograph
- A family ticket (two adults and three kids) to see Haddon Hall at Christmas
- Two main course dishes at The Old Pump in Barlow
- Our undying gratitute to you for helping us to fundraise!
Closing date
- Friday July 9
Find out more about how to enter.
Mar 25th 2010 PEAK POWER! Hydro in the Peak
We are proud to launch the first comprehensive survey of places for potential hydro power in the Peak District today!
Our Peak Power report has details of over 150 river sites, including eighty that could be developed as sources of local power for the future.
“It’s taken three years of detailed surveying and analysis, but Peak Power is a useful and comprehensive guide for people who want to find out more about how this great form of renewable energy can work on our doorstep,” says Andy Tickle, our head of planning and campaigning.
“The Peak District’s the perfect place for small scale hydro power. There’s plenty of rain and fast flowing rivers running down from the hills. And we’ve got a rich legacy of water power - most of the places we looked at were old watermills that have fallen into disuse. They are now absolutely ripe for redeveloping,” he adds.
Friends of the Peak District campaigns to protect much-loved local landscapes. We believe that renewable technology must not dominate or ruin the countryside, and that small scale technologies like micro hydro power are suitable for the Peak District.
We compiled the report with help from technical consultants T4 Sustainability and the Devon Association for Renewable Energy. Peak Power also has the seal of approval from both the Government and the Peak District National Park Authority.
Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn says, “The challenges which face us on climate change are huge and will require global agreement. But they also need small scale answers with individual households and businesses taking responsibility for doing something. It is striking that in many of our rural areas we were making more use of water power in the nineteenth century than we did in the twentieth. That needs to change, hence the importance of the work which Friends of the Peak District is doing with its partners.”
And Narendra Bajaria, Chair of the Peak District National Park Authority adds, “This report, which received financial support from our Sustainable Development Fund, is an important stepping stone towards more hydro schemes of this type. It will encourage local residents, community services, local businesses and others to consider harnessing water power as part of a move towards more sustainable lifestyles.”
See the full technical report and a summary version of Peak Power
Mar 22nd 2010 Backdale...not over
We thought last year's victory at the Court of Appeal meant that the legal door on illegal limestone quarrying at Backdale had finally been shut. The Peak District National Park Authority is currently trying to find a negotiated solution that will put an end to quarrying at the eastern end of Longstone Edge for good. However, Bleaklow Industries, who own the land and mineral rights at Wager’s Flat, Beacon Rod and the now devastated Backdale Quarry has submitted an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
The submission, which follows an unsuccessful request to the House of Lords, is against the UK government. It is expected to take months before the European court determines whether there is a case to answer. If there is, then a ruling could take years. At the same time, the parent body of Glebe Mines, who have the mineral rights to Peak Pastures, has been bought by the Mexican firm Mexichem. Glebe Mines was not part of the deal, and its future is unclear.
We will continue to keep a close eye on the situation and to encourage the National Park Authority to find a permanent solution to this long running problem.
See our campaigns section for background to Backdale.
Mar 8th 2010 Friends need trustees...
Are you passionate about the countryside?
Friends of the Peak District (with CPRE South Yorkshire) is a highly regarded local environmental charity - and we're looking for people to join us as part of the team of volunteers who provide governance and direction for our work.
The role is about protecting and enhancing the countryside of both South Yorkshire and the Peak District. Our vision is of a living, working countryside which changes with the times but remains beautiful forever.
To find out more about the role of our trustees and the skills, experience and commitment that we're looking for to help us achieve our objectives, please download our information pack or contact Carol Robinson for a chat.
Feb 23rd 2010 Riverside turned down
Plans to redevelop Riverside Business Park in Bakewell have been refused by the Peak District National Park Authority. The £25 million scheme would have included 130,000 square feet of industrial units, plus 88 open market and nine affordable homes.
Our planning officer, John King, gave our views to the Park Authority's planning committee. We backed the principle of the scheme, but thought that it needed to include more affordable houses, and have better renewable energy technology.
The planning committee turned it down, saying it
- would lead to the loss of employment land
- would not provide enough affordable housing
- had inadequate information about the sustainability and viability of the scheme
We welcome the fact that the Authority takes affordable housing and renewable energy seriously, but still think the scheme has potential to provide local people with jobs and houses.
Feb 19th 2010 Have your say on the Mottram bypass
The problem of traffic in Mottram, Hollingworth and Tintwistle has been rumbling on for years. We've been campaigning for an effective solution that doesn't mean building bigger roads or bypasses.
The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities has a budget of £100 million for alternative proposals to the Mottram to Tintwistle bypass. Tameside Council is developing a transport strategy for the area and is consulting people now on a range of six possible options, including three public transport options. The consultation is running until 14 May.
What you can do
You can give your views online about Tameside's Longdendale Intergrated Transport Strategy.
- Ask Tameside to implement the public transport and traffic management measures immediately - spend the £100 million earmarked on these measures now!
- Ask for a weight restriction and traffic management along the whole of the A628 trunk route between Manchester and Sheffield, both to improve safety and reduce traffic impacts on the National Park.
- Say no to new road building until these measures have been tried and tested.
Feb 10th 2010 Julia launches Friends' new website
Countryside fan and television presenter Julia Bradbury launched Friends of the Peak District's new website today.
Julia also announced that she is staying on as Friends of the Peak District's president for another year. "Friends of the Peak District does brilliant work protecting the beautiful Peak District countryside, and I'm delighted to support them for another year," she said.
Julia is currently presenting Countryfile on BBC1 on Sunday nights, and has presented other countryside series such as Wainwright's Walks and Railway Walks. She has been president of Friends of the Peak District since 2008. Julia lived in Sheffield as a child, and spent a lot of time in the countryside nearby. "My outdoor career began in the Peak District. My father used to bring me out for walks from the age of six and I have a great nostalgia for places like Monsal Head and the Monsal Trail," she says.
"The new website is great. It's easy to use and packed full of information about what's happening in the Peak District, and how people can help and get involved."
Jan 25th 2010 Not a lot of bottle!
We are horrified at plans for a massive bottling factory in a treasured spot of land near Buxton.
Proposals for a five-hectare water bottling plant at Cowdale Quarry will eventually be part of an even larger 20 hectare industrial estate with extensive units and car parking.
“This scheme must not go ahead!” says our planning officer John King. “It goes completely against the council’s own planning policies, and will totally destroy a tranquil spot of local countryside.”
Cowdale has not been quarried since the nineteen fifties. Since then the site has reverted back to nature, and is very popular with local people for walking, climbing, picnicking and other recreational activities. The development would be visible from both the Peak District National Park and the Midshires Way long distance footpath.
“Cowdale Quarry is part of a really important buffer zone between the Peak Park and Buxton,” John continues. “It’s crucial that we stop industrial sprawl, noise and light pollution encroaching on our national park.”
We also have serious concerns about access to the development, and pollution in the area.
“At the moment there is just a small track from the A6 to the site. Building an access road will mean blasting stone and felling significant numbers of protected trees. The massive increase in cars, vans and lorries to the site would also result in unacceptable noise, fumes and carbon emissions. It’s just not sustainable,” says John.
The planning application is now with High Peak Borough Council. We are among many local groups and people lobbying to get it refused.
“We are calling on anyone who values the tranquillity of our local countryside to write to High Peak Borough Council and demand that they refuse this outrageous application,” John adds.
Send your letters and emails to High Peak Borough Council's planning department.
Dec 15th 2009 Riverside - developers are missing a trick
The long-running saga of the Riverside development at Bakewell will soon move up a gear. Plans for the high-profile scheme at the historic Lumford Mill site are going to be decided early in the new year.
We've looked at the latest set of plans and is calling for improvements to the business park and housing development. The proposals have been revised 18 times over the last four years and now include 88 houses and flats, and 18 combined working and living spaces.
“There’s great potential here to introduce some really good housing and employment space for people in Bakewell,” says John King, our Planning Officer. “But we think the developers have missed a trick. There’s not enough affordable housing, and they should be including far more renewable energy design and technology.”
The current plans only include nine flats for renting to local people on low incomes. However, a recent survey showed that there are 30 households in need of housing in Bakewell - and we want to see at least 13 affordable houses or flats built.
We also think that the development needs to look at incorporating on-site renewable energy schemes , as well as energy saving techniques.
“Riverside is going to be one of the biggest developments in the national park in the coming decades, and it really has to be a shining example of good environmental planning. At the moment, it’s not nearly ambitious enough,” says John. “We think it should reduce its carbon emissions by 20 per cent, and at least ten per cent of its energy needs should come from renewable sources.”
We have written to the Peak District National Park Authority objecting to the plans as they stand, but with a number of recommendations.
Nov 25th 2009 Celebrating great Peak District design
A bustling national park visitor centre, a revamped engine shed and a disused reservoir triumphantly returned to a natural landscape were all the outstanding winners at last Thursday’s Countryside Awards.
The awards were hosted by Friends of the Peak District, along with the Peak District National Park Authority.
“We’re celebrating the best in building and landscape design, as well as excellence in countryside interpretation and access,” said the chair of the judging panel, Christopher Pennell. “The winners are all projects that have a sensitive regard for their sense of place – the Peak District. Friends of the Peak District is a great little charity that campaigns to protect the countryside. These awards are a way of inspiring people to also enhance rural landscapes and use good design.”
Narendra Bajaria, Chair of the Peak District National Park Authority, added: “We require architects to be creative and innovative in designing sustainable, quality buildings suitable for the 21st century while fitting into the special cultural landscape of the national park.”
There were three Peak District winners.
Severn Trent Water won a Design Award for the Lightwood Reservoir Landscape Scheme. This ambitious scheme naturalised the landscape after taking a small disused reservoir above Buxton out of use. It is an area used by walkers, and the much-loved circular walk around the site had been kept. The judges said, “The illusion of a semi-natural valley with its stream and in-course pools was triumphantly achieved…proving that Severn Trent Water’s footprint on this land can be gentle and will fade as nature heals the scars.”
The Peak District National Park Authority won an Access and Interpretation Award for Castleton National Park Visitor Centre. The judges praised the centre for “cramming so much material and interpretation in together, and creating a cornucopia of Peak District discovery to tempt visitors to want to see more and learn more.”
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council won two awards – a Design Award, and the PDNPA Special Award for Building Design – for the Manifold Valley Conservation Project which converted the old light railway engine shed at Hulme End into a visitor centre with a café. The judges said the renovation is “very much in character with the old photographs but without the slavish replication which might have made it less useful as a publicly serviceable building.”
Oct 26th 2009 Water Power Workshop for Peak Communities
Water power could be a renewable energy-source of the future for Peak District communities - and a free workshop is being held to show them how.
Water Power Enterprises, a social enterprise company part-funded by the Co-operative Group, will explain how communities can go about setting up their own small-scale hydro-power scheme.
The workshop is at Bradfield Village Hall on November 19 (Thur) from 11am to 4pm. It will be hosted jointly with the Peak District National Park Authority, East Peak Innovation Partnership and the Friends of the Peak District, who recently completed a two-year study identifying 40 local sites with good potential.
The workshop will provide an overview of these sites - often near old mills which used water-power in centuries past.
It will also present a step-by-step guide to get from the initial idea to choosing a site, obtaining permissions, raising the finance, legal structures for community ownership, a financial model, the construction phase and finally producing ‘green’ electricity.
Andy Tickle, head of planning for Friends of the Peak District, said: “Hydro power was always a key form of energy supply in the Peak District, associated with lead mining, weaving and other industries.
“Now we hope it can be a key source for the future, providing small-scale renewable energy schemes which do not compromise the special qualities of the Peak District National Park.”
The workshop is free to community groups and includes a working sandwich lunch. Places must be booked, giving group name and contact details (phone-number and email address) to Steve Welsh, managing director of Water Power Enterprises, at Lower Mount Farm, Shore, Todmorden, OL14 8SD, steve.welsh@h2ope.co.uk or 07964 106037.
More details: www.h2ope.co.uk
Friends of the Peak District’s hydro study was funded by the Peak District Sustainable Development Fund and East Midlands Communities Renewables Initiative.
Oct 23rd 2009 Photo competition 2009
The winner of this year’s Friends of the Peak District photo competition is Mark Tierney for his photograph “Curbar Bride.”
There were nearly 250 entries in our annual competition, including a brilliant and interesting range of photos from amateur and professional photographers.
The photos were judged by a panel of distinguished professional photographers: Paul Hill, Karen Frenkel and Mike Williams. They said the striking black and white photograph had “a touch of Heathcliff about it, and a gothic, surreal quality.”
The competition was run in conjunction with CPRE South Yorkshire – and Mark won first and joint runner up prizes in the South Yorkshire category too.
School girl Rebecca Walton (15) won the under-18s category with her lively photograph of three pals jumping in the sunshine at Parsonage Farm. Rebecca, from Deepcar, took the photo on her mobile phone. She was delighted to win a year’s free supply of ice cream from local Peak District firm, Bradwell’s Dairy Ice Cream.
Rebecca and Mark both also won a handsome canvas of their winning photos, and a landscape photography masterclass with Karen Frenkel.
With thanks to
You can see Mark’s work at http://tierneyphotography.co.uk/blog/
People and Seasons in the Peak District results
Winner: Curbar Bride by Mark Tierney
Runner up: Cow and Dew Pond by Tez Marsden
Runner up: White Peak Sunrise by Graham Dunn
Commended photos:
- Alport Dale by Stephen Elliott
- Autumn near Hassop by Graham Dunn
- Baslow Edge Mist by Tez Marsden
- Dawn over Mother Cap by Stephen Elliott
- Peak District Canyon by Christopher Rushton
- Sunset over Ladybower by Stephen Elliott
- The Catch by SR Cuthbert
- Winster Morris by Geoff Buxton
- Winter Solstice and the People of the Past by Paul Shaw
You and Your Friends in the Countryside (under 18s category) results
Winner: Parsonage Farm by Rebecca Walton
Runner up: Top That! By Tom Jolley
Oct 6th 2009 Homes for local people
We are welcoming plans for a handful of new homes in the national park - which mean local people can continue to live here.
Lack of housing is a problem in many rural villages, as house prices have rocketed and left people on low incomes unable to afford to stay in the area. We campaign for a living, working countryside with vibrant villages. Its policy on housing is to encourage affordable local homes to be built in suitable locations. All 14 of these proposed new houses will be owned by housing associations who will rent them out to people either living in the villages or neighbouring villages.
In Warslow there are proposals for six semi-detached houses on an disused industrial site. They will be built using local stone and have traditional detailing around the windows and doors, in keeping with the character of the village.
"Most of Warslow is a conservation area, and this site is currently a bit of an eyesore,” says John King, our planning officer. “We welcome these houses which will not only improve the look of the village, but also provide affordable homes for local people.”
Over in Bamford, there are plans for eight new houses on the edge of the village. Although they will be visible from Brentwood Avenue and a nearby footpath, from other view points they will be well-screened by trees and hedges.
"Ideally, we’d like to see any new buildings on brownfield sites, but in Bamford there really aren’t any viable alternatives,” says John. “The houses will be very traditional looking and are close to the village so they won’t significantly harm the views of the valley. There is also some concern amongst residents about access onto Main Road. However if this can be sorted out to the satisfaction of residents and the highways authority, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
