Latest news with #DerbyshireCountyCouncil
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Council to sell historical house in Shipley Country Park at auction
A historical lodge in a country park in Derbyshire is being sold by its council owners at auction for £200, Lodge, which sits in Shipley Country Park and is owned by Derbyshire County Council, is Grade II listed and was built in 1910 by architect Walter say the building has since fallen into a state of disrepair, with calls for the two-storey sandstone property to be better protected due to its historical status. Chris Henning, an executive director at the council, said the authority was disposing of many properties and still owned 127 pieces of land and buildings. He said many of the properties and pieces of land were taken on by the council "because nobody else wanted them" and included brownfield and contaminated said Nottingham Lodge was once owned by the National Coal Board, with the country park previously being a coal mine for some 250 years until 1974, leaving 30 abandoned mine shafts on the wider site, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said. An auction listing from SDL Property Auctions details that the detached property "requires a scheme of modernisation", providing a "unique opportunity" to new of the property includes a 999-year lease, the council Lodge, a similar property also in the country park, is now operated as Barefeet Lodge Tearooms on behalf of the county Walter Tapper was an English architect who focused on Gothic-style buildings and work includes being appointed Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey and acted as consulting architect to York Minster and Manchester Cathedral.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
New haul road to Peak District quarry near Wirksworth approved
Planners have granted permission for a new access road to be built to a quarry in the Peak County Council approved a plan by applicant Ben Bennett Jr Ltd, for a new haul road on 0.84 hectares of land east of Grange Mill Quarry, near Wirksworth. The quarry, located off the B5056 just south of the Peak District National Park, produces high-quality limestone used in products including pharmaceuticals, plastics, rubber, glass, and sealants.A spokesperson for the council said the existing haul road was "likely to become increasingly unsafe over time", so the new road would replace that. The proposed road would only be used for haulage operations and a one-metre high stone wall would be erected, with planted hedgerow along the route of an adjacent public bridleway, according to the council. "The creation of a new haul road would allow HGVs to continue to access the south-east extension area of the quarry safely for the purposes of the extraction of high-purity limestone," the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Derbyshire Dales District Council - which raised no objections to the development - said "due regard" should be given to the adjacent right of a public consultation, one person raised concerns about potential dust, noise pollution, and the impact on the enjoyment of public rights of way. However, the council had to consider concerns that without the proposed haul road, a sufficient supply of minerals from the quarry could not be established for its expected authority said there was no clear viable alternative. The council's planning committee approved planning permission for the scheme during a meeting earlier in July, subject to conditions including dust monitoring, noise and usage time restrictions.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
UK's 'most dangerous road' with 164 crash casualties to get £7.6m revamp
A 23-mile stretch of road - often touted as the UK's most dangerous - featuring dangerously steep bends, twists and blind junctions is slated for a complete transformation to help prevent further casualties One of the country's most notorious roads is set to benefit from 'life-saving improvements' to the tune of £7.6 million. Featuring 23 miles of steep bends, twists and blind junctions - Snake Pass is a well-known stretch of the A57 that links Sheffield with Manchester. Situated in the picturesque Peak District between Glossop and Sheffield, the route is used by more than 30,000 vehicles every single week - and is the highest road in Derbyshire. Snake Pass has become somewhat of a tourist attraction in itself, despite being one of the 'most high-risk' roads in England due to its serpent shape and constant closures due to poor weather and landslips. In fact, collision data submitted to the Department for Transport stated that between 2018 and 2023, there were five fatalities, 62 serious and 102 slight collision casualties. Derbyshire County Council had also warned that landslips are becoming so frequent that it could not keep repairing the road. It had previously asked the Department for Transport (DfT) for a 'landslip fund' to make sure the road could stay open - but the government body said it was not 'responsible' for the road. However, the DfT has now unveiled £7.6 million of investment as part of its Safer Roads Fund. The proposed safety improvements, which are still subject to a public consultation later this year, include adding up to 10 average speed camera sites along the route, with speed limit reminder signs. Improvements will also be made to the junction of the A57 and Manor Park Road in Glossop, to narrow the road and reduce the time it takes for pedestrians to cross the road. A pedestrian crossing at the Dinting Vale viaduct will then be erected, to 'provide a safer walking route for pedestrians to the railway station'. Other improvements include implementing advanced 'road restraint' safety barriers, designed to prevent motorcyclists sliding under existing safety barriers, to reduce potential injuries, and anti-skid friction surfacing, at bends and existing collision sites, to help minimise braking distances. The DfT estimates the revamp will prevent more than 93 fatal and serious collisions over the next 20 years, as well as slashing congestion and emissions. "We have already carried out a number of safety improvements along the route, but a more holistic solution is required to save lives and change road user attitudes and behaviour along this challenging stretch of road," said Councillor Charlotte Hill, Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport. "We welcome the award from the Safer Routes Fund for a suite of road safety measures worth £7.6 million – an investment well beyond the means of our annual road maintenance budget for the county. "Using our experience gained from similar challenging routes in the county, we will now be able to finalise our proposals for the Snake Pass, in readiness for a public consultation later this year. We look forward to being able to deliver a step change in road safety and reduce casualties along this significant route."
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Volunteers to reopen closed Chesterfield Canal visitor centre
A visitor centre along Chesterfield Canal is to reopen two months after it was closed due to financial Lock Visitor Centre in Lockoford Lane recently acquired a new licence from Derbyshire County Council to resume operations and will open again on Saturday. The centre provides refreshments and information on the work and history of the canal, which stretches 46 miles from the River Trent in north Nottinghamshire to Chesterfield Canal Trust chair Peter Hardy said: "We have a dedicated group of volunteers who are going to come to our aid and man the building." Derbyshire County Council, which owns the building, announced in May it would be closing the information centre and café for financial reasons. Chesterfield Canal Trust was then successful in an application to lease the ground floor of the building to be solely run by volunteers. Mr Hardy said he was delighted to begin to get the centre back up and added: "We hope it will be successful and people will come to visit us."The centre will initially open between 10:00 to 15:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays but the trust aims for it to be open more often in future and offer more amenities.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- 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."
