Plans for Traveller site in Derbyshire Dales ended as land sold to new owners

As previously reported, in September Derbyshire Dales District Council approved outline plans to develop eight pitches on the site known as the Woodyard, off the A6 near Homesford.

The owners of the site had put it forward multiple times over the years as the council sought for suitable locations to meet its legal duties for accommodating nomadic peoples residing in the district and passing through temporarily – but previous district administrations had repeatedly rejected it.

With a change in the political make-up of the council at the election in May, new light was cast on the issue, but on Wednesday, November 29, the authority announced an abrupt end to the Woodyard project as the land has been sold to new owners, subject to contract completion.

A joint statement issued by council leader Steve Flitter and deputies Peter Slack and Neil Buttle said: “We have therefore ended all due diligence work, which had been taking place since planning approval was agreed on September 14.

“We are satisfied our officers moved as quickly as possible to initiate quotes for various essential site investigation surveys, including a valuation, topographical survey, architectural design, tree survey, drainage design, highways design including new access, soft and hard landscaping and acoustic fences. The timing of this work naturally relied on consent by the landowners to access the site.”

They added: “The intention had been for a full meeting of the council to consider options for lease or acquisition – subject to acceptable survey reports – on December 14. This won't now happen.

“We also note from early survey results that the site would have presented significant – and potentially expensive – challenges to upgrade it to the required standards. These challenges were not evident when the landowners submitted their planning application two months ago.

“The search for temporary and permanent sites here in the Derbyshire Dales continues – led by our cross-party Traveller Working Group.”

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