Latest news with #DerbyshireCountyCouncil
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Bid to bring wild black grouse back to Derbyshire's Peak District
A partnership is being formed for a conservation project to reintroduce an endangered bird back to the hills of the Peak grouse are on the RPSB's endangered species red list as populations have been declining in the UK for decades due to threats such as habitat loss and intensive land is hoped that the work led by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Derbyshire County Council could see the black, white and red birds brought back to the uplands by Savage, landscape recovery manager with the trust, visited Wales this month to visit a project where birds are bred to be released into the wild. Mr Savage said the birds can play an "important role" in the ecosystem of the Peak District's said they "act as natural graziers pruning moorland plants like heather and bilberry" and eat "herbs like sorrel, buttercup and marigold found in unimproved pastures" and will "gorge" on also eat berries which helps to spread seeds in the autumn. 'Grounded in hope' But to make a black grouse population viable, work to create the conditions needed has to be carried out in unison by councils, businesses, landowners, land managers and other trust said it was early days in the Mr Savage said a partnership is being established "that's evidence-led, ecologically sound, and grounded in hope" to support the birds. The plan forms part of the first Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Derby and Derbyshire, which highlights the opportunities to establish the likes of black grouse, pine martens, red-backed shrike and beavers, and help struggling species such as adder, common toads, Leisler's bats, water voles and white-clawed the wider strategy earlier this year, Derbyshire's environment lead councillor Carolyn Renwick said nature"needs our help" and that "we need to take action now to protect our environment for tomorrow".Mr Savage said in terms of black grouse, populations of more than 100 must be established, to make the colonies resilient and to encourage birds to migrate to other areas to said: "With the right conditions and community support, we believe this iconic bird can once again be part of our thriving upland landscapes."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Will new plans solve parking woes in Peak District tourist hotspot?
The Peak District village of Castleton offers some of the national park's most spectacular views. Its rural location - next to the impressive Mam Tor - makes it an ideal spot to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life. But there is a problem. Growing numbers of visitors in recent years - thought to have been prompted by TikTok videos and the increasing popularity of campervans - have led to major parking problems, causing tension between tourists and locals. Now Derbyshire County Council is fighting back. The authority hopes a raft of new planned parking restrictions - comprising a mixture of "red routes", double yellow lines and parking bays with time restrictions - will ease the situation and make life easier for its residents. But will the new approach work? Much of the ire from locals appears to be focused on Old Mam Tor Road, which runs out of the village up Mam Tor and is known as the "Broken Road", because it was split by a landslide. In recent years, it has become a magnet for motorhomes. James Spence has lived in Castleton for seven years after moving up from Bedfordshire. He told the BBC he had come across toilet paper, human waste and loo chemicals left behind by those embracing the "campervan life". "It's just not decent human behaviour when you are visiting a beautiful, picturesque part of the world," he said. The 54-year-old said he had spotted some campervanners leaving toilet paper and excrement behind trees. "Some of these vans haven't got a chemical toilet, so they've got to go to the toilet somewhere," he said. Mr Spence said any measure was better than nothing, but he felt concerned there were no restrictions planned for the top end of the Broken Road. "A lot of people turned up during Covid and I don't think some of them ever left. They stay up there for longer periods of time," he said. "There is still concern about emptying chemical toilets and waste and rubbish that tends to pile up around there." Gary Glennerster runs Dunscar Farm, which looks across Old Mam Tor Road. "There is nothing wrong with the people and they are not committing a crime, but it is the sheer volume of them. It's an eyesore," he said. He thinks the council should be charging people to park on the road, because he says their vehicles contribute little to the local economy. Meanwhile, Jonnie Collins – from the campaign group Concerned for Castleton – says two volunteers go to the area where campervans are gathered on Broken Road once a week, and usually return with at least two bins bags full of rubbish. He believes the county council will have a major challenge enforcing the planned parking restrictions because staff already have a large area to cover. "I accept walking around cities or towns, there is rubbish but other than volunteers, there is nobody to clear it up and what annoys me most is we know the hotspots where there is excrement - but the authorities don't seem to be willing to try and stop it happening," he said. High Peak Borough Council, which is responsible for bins in the area, said it carried out "year-round campaigns to educate people and encourage responsible visits". "We'll continue to work with our partners to support people in Castleton with the impact caused by a very high volume of visitors to the village," a spokesperson added. Figures obtained by the National Caravan Council - from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - show 16,447 motorhomes were registered in 2024 - almost double the 8,733 recorded in 2014. Countries around the world, including the UK, have seen a large increase in recent years of people living and travelling in converted vans, with a spike in the search term #vanlife on social media. Martin Dorey, an author and environmentalist, has written books about camper vans and presented BBC Two programme One Man and His Campervan - about travelling across Europe in one of the vehicles. He says campervanning became much more popular during the Covid pandemic, because hotels were closed and camper vans are self-contained. "I think social media has also got something to do with it," Martin added. "But I am not going to blame it. Social media has brought more things to the attention of more people, whether it's vans, whether it is sport or whatever. "I don't think we should demonise #vanlife just because it has got a hashtag. It's always been popular." Bob Riley stays on the Broken Road two or three times a year in his fully-fitted Fiat Ducato van, which cost him £85,000. The 64-year-old told the BBC he had never dropped litter, and had not noticed any of the problems people in Castleton were reporting. "They have obviously seen something that I haven't," he said. "I have seen lots of friends and family having a good time and leaving no trace. "It's a good life, if you respect the area, respect the locals and do the right thing." The county council's public consultation on the new parking restrictions is due to conclude on 8 August before the authority decides whether to implement the plans as they are or revise them. Charlotte Hill, cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport, said: "Our road safety team have been working with Castleton Parish Council to try and identify ways to better manage parking in the village. "Castleton is a beautiful place to visit, but the roads were never designed for the kinds of traffic volumes - and the size of vehicles - that we see today. "For the past few years, there have been concerns about inconsiderate parking, and some motorists not understanding the restrictions that are currently in place. "We hope that our proposals will help local people, make things clearer for visitors and reduce disruption to help make sure visitors enjoy the beauty of our county. "Alongside our proposals to restrict parking, we will also look to enforce the restrictions robustly with our team of parking attendants, to ensure traffic can move safely and smoothly in the area, reducing congestion and unnecessary delays." It is a tricky balancing act for the council as it tries to keep residents and visitors happy - and the coming months will tell us how successfully it has managed to do this. The full list of parking proposals can be found here. Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story New rules aim to stop Peak District parking pests Parking chaos and poo: The price of Mam Tor's fame 'TikTok craze behind beauty spot parking issues' Peak District litter issues 'are getting worse' Related internet links Derbyshire County Council High Peak Borough Council
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Will new plans solve parking woes in Peak District tourist hotspot?
The Peak District village of Castleton offers some of the national park's most spectacular rural location - next to the impressive Mam Tor - makes it an ideal spot to escape the hustle and bustle of modern there is a numbers of visitors in recent years - thought to have been prompted by TikTok videos and the increasing popularity of campervans - have led to major parking problems, causing tension between tourists and Derbyshire County Council is fighting authority hopes a raft of new planned parking restrictions - comprising a mixture of "red routes", double yellow lines and parking bays with time restrictions - will ease the situation and make life easier for its will the new approach work? Much of the ire from locals appears to be focused on Old Mam Tor Road, which runs out of the village up Mam Tor and is known as the "Broken Road", because it was split by a recent years, it has become a magnet for Spence has lived in Castleton for seven years after moving up from told the BBC he had come across toilet paper, human waste and loo chemicals left behind by those embracing the "campervan life"."It's just not decent human behaviour when you are visiting a beautiful, picturesque part of the world," he 54-year-old said he had spotted some campervanners leaving toilet paper and excrement behind trees."Some of these vans haven't got a chemical toilet, so they've got to go to the toilet somewhere," he Spence said any measure was better than nothing, but he felt concerned there were no restrictions planned for the top end of the Broken Road."A lot of people turned up during Covid and I don't think some of them ever left. They stay up there for longer periods of time," he said."There is still concern about emptying chemical toilets and waste and rubbish that tends to pile up around there." Gary Glennerster runs Dunscar Farm, which looks across Old Mam Tor Road."There is nothing wrong with the people and they are not committing a crime, but it is the sheer volume of them. It's an eyesore," he thinks the council should be charging people to park on the road, because he says their vehicles contribute little to the local Jonnie Collins – from the campaign group Concerned for Castleton – says two volunteers go to the area where campervans are gathered on Broken Road once a week, and usually return with at least two bins bags full of believes the county council will have a major challenge enforcing the planned parking restrictions because staff already have a large area to cover."I accept walking around cities or towns, there is rubbish but other than volunteers, there is nobody to clear it up and what annoys me most is we know the hotspots where there is excrement - but the authorities don't seem to be willing to try and stop it happening," he Peak Borough Council, which is responsible for bins in the area, said it carried out "year-round campaigns to educate people and encourage responsible visits"."We'll continue to work with our partners to support people in Castleton with the impact caused by a very high volume of visitors to the village," a spokesperson added. Figures obtained by the National Caravan Council - from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) - show 16,447 motorhomes were registered in 2024 - almost double the 8,733 recorded in around the world, including the UK, have seen a large increase in recent years of people living and travelling in converted vans, with a spike in the search term #vanlife on social Dorey, an author and environmentalist, has written books about camper vans and presented BBC Two programme One Man and His Campervan - about travelling across Europe in one of the says campervanning became much more popular during the Covid pandemic, because hotels were closed and camper vans are self-contained."I think social media has also got something to do with it," Martin added."But I am not going to blame it. Social media has brought more things to the attention of more people, whether it's vans, whether it is sport or whatever."I don't think we should demonise #vanlife just because it has got a hashtag. It's always been popular." Bob Riley stays on the Broken Road two or three times a year in his fully-fitted Fiat Ducato van, which cost him £85, 64-year-old told the BBC he had never dropped litter, and had not noticed any of the problems people in Castleton were reporting."They have obviously seen something that I haven't," he said."I have seen lots of friends and family having a good time and leaving no trace."It's a good life, if you respect the area, respect the locals and do the right thing."The county council's public consultation on the new parking restrictions is due to conclude on 8 August before the authority decides whether to implement the plans as they are or revise them. Charlotte Hill, cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport, said: "Our road safety team have been working with Castleton Parish Council to try and identify ways to better manage parking in the village."Castleton is a beautiful place to visit, but the roads were never designed for the kinds of traffic volumes - and the size of vehicles - that we see today."For the past few years, there have been concerns about inconsiderate parking, and some motorists not understanding the restrictions that are currently in place."We hope that our proposals will help local people, make things clearer for visitors and reduce disruption to help make sure visitors enjoy the beauty of our county."Alongside our proposals to restrict parking, we will also look to enforce the restrictions robustly with our team of parking attendants, to ensure traffic can move safely and smoothly in the area, reducing congestion and unnecessary delays."It is a tricky balancing act for the council as it tries to keep residents and visitors happy - and the coming months will tell us how successfully it has managed to do full list of parking proposals can be found here.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Castleton: New rules aim to stop Peak District parking pests
New proposals have been drawn up to tackle inconsiderate parking in part of the Peak County Council has launched a consultation on plans to introduce restrictions on several roads in Castleton which has seen a huge spike in tourists since the Covid pandemic. These include new "red routes" which prohibit stopping at any time on several roads, the addition of yellow lines to other roads and limited stay parking bays on other red routes will be a first for Derbyshire but are used extensively in other parts of the country, the council said. The plans were drawn up after residents and officials voiced concerns about increasing parking issues caused by rising visitor January Derbyshire Police said they were forced to close multiple roads, including Winnats Pass and Rushup Edge near Castleton, due to "selfish parking".It followed reports of about 200 parked cars blocking gritting lorries and emergency services trying to respond to an injured walker near Edale. Restrictions on the south side of Buxton Road will include a maximum stay of four hours between 09:00 to 17:00 in marked bays with no return allowed within one unnamed road towards the Blue John Cavern, Sparrowpit and a highway from Rushup Edge Farm turning head will have its double yellow lines replaced with red lines which means no stopping at anytime. Blue John Cavern has asked for some limited waiting bays to be created on the unnamed road close to its entrance so it is proposed to convert 10 of the unrestricted bays into limited waiting baysDouble yellow lines will be introduced on Pindale Road and Millbridge in the vicinity of Trickett Close and How current single yellow line on the east side of Back Street will also be converted to a double yellow and display parking bays on old Mam Tor Road are set to be extended from weekends and bank holidays to seven days a week between 09:00 to 17:00 with a maximum stay of four hours. The council said the new measure would ensure there was a turnover of parking spaces in these bays. New parking meters will also be up old Mam Tor Road, there will be marked parking bays allowing vehicles to park with no restrictions. Charlotte Hill, cabinet member for potholes, highways and transport at Derbyshire County Council, said: "Our road safety team has been working with Castleton Parish Council to try and identify ways to better manage parking in the village."Castleton is a beautiful place to visit, but the roads were never designed for the kinds of traffic volumes – and the size of vehicles – that we see today."For the past few years, there have been concerns about inconsiderate parking, and some motorists not understanding the restrictions that are currently in place."We hope that our proposals will help local people, make things clearer for visitors and reduce disruption to help make sure visitors enjoy the beauty of our county."Alongside our proposals to restrict parking, we will also look to enforce the restrictions robustly with our team of parking attendants, to ensure traffic can move safely and smoothly in the area, reducing congestion and unnecessary delays."
BBC News
11-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Council promises positive progress on SEND pressures
The leader of Derbyshire County Council has said "positive progress" will soon be made on services for children with special educational needs, despite large rises in both costs and the number of people who need council's costs to support children in special schools rose by £15m to around £38m in 2024/25, according to council budget for this financial year has a £31m deficit, which the council says is due to "significant increases" in the number of children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs).EHCPs are legal documents which enable children to access the support they need from local authorities. There were 6,790 children in Derbyshire with EHCPs in place in 2024, but that number rose to almost 8,000 by the spring of this council says the rise has in turn "put pressure on the budget" due to the cost of supporting children with council is also facing pressure to complete outstanding EHCPs more quickly - as data shows only about 20% of council's EHCPs were issued within the legally-required 20-week Reform UK leader of the council Alan Graves said the government was "not too pleased" with the progress the council was making on SEND services during a recent "stocktake". "However, I do know that before you can make the substantial changes we need, you have to put a lot of building blocks into place," he added."I think you'll suddenly see a huge movement of progress, positive progress."Graves says more timely EHCPs will be an area where families will see change."We have changed some of the staff and that's a very important aspect of this," he said. "There are some massive changes coming through that are tangible."SEND is about giving services to the people out there, real people. I understand how upset they are." The local authority is currently being monitored by Ofsted as part of a SEND improvement plan following a report last year that found "widespread and systemic failings".It is using £28m in capital funding to create more special needs school places and carry out work on school buildings to extend transport is also said to be an area of pressure, with an overspend of £7m in the last financial year - and more children qualifying for funded home to school transport due the increase in completed EHCPs. The leader of the Derbyshire Conservatives Alex Dale and former cabinet member for education said delivering improvements for families "is going to take time".He added: "We will work constructively with the new administration and want them to succeed in making further improvements — but I would urge caution against any suggestion that these deep-rooted challenges can be fixed overnight. "We've not yet seen a credible or detailed plan from Reform UK that goes beyond the improvement plan already in place that we adopted, and we hope they will engage seriously with the scale of what's required." Ofsted said it does not comment on individual local areas when approached for comment.
