LibDems4DerwentValley

27/07/2025

📢 Local Plan Update – What You Need to Know 🏡🌿

The Local Plan shapes where homes, businesses & infrastructure can go in the Derbyshire Dales (outside the Peak Park). We're in Stage B – reviewing possible land for housing. Some sites are already ruled out (e.g. flood risk), and more are being filtered now.

The SHLAA document that raised concerns is just a technical review – no decisions have been made yet.

👀 A reduced list of sites will come out by the end of 2025.
🗣️ Public consultation starts in early 2026 – that’s when your views really count.
🛑 No sites will be allocated before then.

👉 More info here: https://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy-and-local-plan/local-plan/local-plan-review-2022

We’re calling on the Government to:
✅ Protect sensitive landscapes
✅ Fund affordable homes on brownfield sites (like old quarries)

Let’s plan for the future—together. 💬You can help, by signing at bit.ly/4iH8OYm

01/06/2025

Tomorrow sees the expiry of the temporary stop notice slapped on the owner of Halldale quarry by the County Council. Local residents have been alarmed by developments here for the last two years, and the resumption of destruction here in April was an unhappy reminder of how powerless the Forestry Commission is, and how often the County Council is caught napping on these large scale activities on 'minerals' sites. We await news tomorrow with interest!

20/05/2025

Thank you to all those who voted Liberal Democrat in the recent county council elections. A sea-change in representation on Derbyshire County Council, with both Labour and the Tories going backwards. Although we didn't gain any more seats, the Liberal Democrats did overtake Labour as third most popular party in the Derbyshire Dales area.

Now comes the task of holding the untried and unknown Reform Council to account. Please come and join us as the progressive alternative to right-wing populism. See our 'Join' page via

Steve Flitter, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on DDDC said - We are delighted to come together as 3 progressive Parties to offer the residents and businesses of the Derbyshire Dales a new approach to local politics. We know that our District faces many challenges, not least the cost of living c...

29/04/2025

Important that Derbyshire's county archaeologist is now putting forward a 'holding' objection to the Forest Holidays proposal for a camp of 75 chalets and hot tubs at Farley Moor.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Ian Barfield says 'There's significant new evidence from the Time Team programme (which can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtCM4b3k4ak ). It's vital that this nationally important Bronze Age site is properly protected.

I also have serious concerns that the plans are unlikely to create any new skilled jobs in the area - we are already seeing a shortage of people to fill vacancies in the service sector around Matlock, because of the lack of affordable homes. Time for the government to wake up and realise that it can't just let the market determine housing in Derbyshire Dales. Support the Liberal Democrats' petition to stop over-development, and allow for affordable homes on brownfield sites. bit.ly/4iH8OYm .'

In this episode, the Time Team Expedition Crew—Lawrence, Naomi, Derek, Hilde, and a small group of volunteers—head to Farley Moor, Derbyshire, just outside t...

24/04/2025

Ian Barfield has the councillor experience, local knowledge and determination to make him the right choice for Derwent Valley on May 1st.

24/04/2025

Proof, if any was needed, of the state of our roads! We need change now.

The state of Derbyshire's roads has been dominating the local election campaign.

24/04/2025

We all know Derbyshire's potholes are a disgrace - this one on Grove Lane was there for so long the cone to mark it as a danger became part of the infill!
County Highways MUST get their act together.
Our candidate, Ian Barfield, is determined that they must do so.

12/04/2025

Your Lib Dem councillors David Burton and Roger Shelley managed to get Stancliffe Homes' application for 37 houses at the bottom of Old Hackney Lane turned down at the District Council Planning meeting in December.
But now the developer has appealed. Local people have until 17 April to send in any representations to the government planning inspector, at www.gov.uk/appeal-planning-inspectorate (citing ref APP/P1045/W/25/3361297).
Help fight this obliteration of some of the last open space between Matlock and Darley Dale.
While your local Lib Dem councillors are trying to get special landscape protection (an extension of existing Council policy PD10) to cover these fields in the new Local Plan, the Labour government has delayed the Plan process. Instead, the government is forcing councils to build as many homes as possible, and is trying to prevent the views of locals being taken into account.
Please help us by signing our petition to the government to provide the affordable homes that are needed by funding building on brownfield sites AND protect the green spaces that are critical to the environment, to flood prevention and to the enjoyment of living in Darley Dale bit.ly/4iH8OYm

(Picture shows Cllr Shelley and Lib Dem campaigner Ian Barfield at the Old Hackney Lane site)

25/03/2025

The threat to our green fields is very real.

Your Lib Dem councillors David Burton and Roger Shelley managed to get Stancliffe Homes' application for 37 houses at the bottom of Old Hackney Lane turned down at the District Council Planning meeting in December.

But now the developer has appealed. Local people have until 17 April to send in any representations to the government planning inspector, at www.gov.uk/appeal-planning-inspectorate (citing ref APP/P1045/W/25/3361297).

Help fight this obliteration of some of the last open space between Matlock and Darley Dale (local resident Jane Dent is shown below with Lib Dem campaigner Ian Barfield overlooking the area at risk).

Some people mistakenly think that we can wave a magic wand and declare everything a fantasy 'green belt', misunderstanding that such areas can only be applied around large towns and cities. Your local Lib Dem councillors are instead trying to get special landscape protection (an extension of existing Council policy PD10) to cover these fields in the new Local Plan. However, the Labour government has delayed the Plan process, and it may be too late for Old Hackney Lane.

You can also help by signing our petition to the government to provide affordable homes AND protect green spaces bit.ly/4iH8OYm

25/02/2025

The end of 'local government' as we know it? Apocalyptic though that may sound...
In December, the Government fired the starting gun on the biggest change in local government for 50 years. It has been long coming, with the slow advance of directly elected mayors and unitary authorities (a single council responsible for delivering most local public services – although schools and many care services have been increasingly provided outside of the council structure).
Now we (sort of) know… existing district/borough and existing county councils will be abolished, and are being invited to submit proposals for amalgamations by 21 March – an incredibly tight deadline. Suggested new councils must be at least 500,000 people and stay within the boundary of the new mayoral ‘East Midlands’ Combined County Authority which emerged last May (with the election here of Mayor Claire Ward).
Final proposals have to be agreed with the Government by the autumn. In the short term, there will be little obvious change, except council staff will be increasingly preoccupied by organising the change (and in many cases making personal career decisions). It may be that there is an election to a ‘shadow’ authority in 2027, with the final change taking place by 2029. There are plenty of concerns.
Here are some;
• What are the costs and benefits to local communities of different models of unitary authority council, over very large areas? – and not just the ‘cheapest’ way of running services
• How to ensure the big new structures are still ‘local’ enough for people to identify with?
• How to ensure that there are sufficient councillors to respond to community needs – is it right that these may become paid full timers (like mini MPs)?
At least there are no planned changes for Darley Dale Town Council!
You can voice your displeasure to local MP John Whitby at [email protected]

25/02/2025

Hello everyone. Please do contact your local Lib Dem team for the area with any issues or concerns that you may have. Derbyshire Dales District Councillors David Burton, Marilyn Franks and Roger Shelley represent Darley Dale and Northwood. Cllrs Martin and Sue Burfoot and Steve Wain cover the Morledge estate, and community campaigner Ian Barfield works across the whole area. Email us as [email protected].