Save Cressbrook Dale

 

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The Campaign to Save Cressbrook Dale

The integrity and tranquility of our much-loved Derbyshire valley is being threatened by the activities of  new land owners. They seek to alter the landscape here in a manner that is completely at odds with its nature and in an unsustainable manner. In doing so they will destroy an irreplaceable and unique landscape that has taken hundreds of years to establish itself. In wrecking the land they also threaten the well-being of the communities that surround and enjoy this incredible landscape as well as those who visit and hold this Dale close to their hearts.

The group have published several prospectuses in seeking new 'investors' to help them pay for more of the land in the dale. Each version sees the 'deal' vary slightly but the key points stay the same, not applying for planning permission, farming and camping on the land. No mention is made of how they will deal with ash dieback- a very real threat to the Dale at the moment not to mention a huge liability (see our page on Ash dieback). These potential 'investors' are probably also unaware of the restrictions on the land and that they will be liable to pay large fines should any more development occur. The irony is of course that they don't need to 'invest' as this land is in the heart of the Peak District National Park ( see our page on National Parks ) and as such EVERYONE is at liberty to walk its footpaths, see the flora and fauna and enjoy the peace and serenity of this glorious Dale. The fear is that if nothing is done to stop them NO ONE will be able to do that as what makes it special will have been destroyed.

ACT NOW!


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Latest News  - 13th April 2023


Cressbrook Dale enforcement notice issued


Cressbrook, Derbyshire: The Peak District National Park Authority has issued a planning enforcement notice on the owners of land in Cressbrook Dale in the Peak District in Derbyshire. Rachel Elnaugh, Angela Spink, Keith Parker -- the trustees of the Cressbrook Dale Private Members’ Association, and Nicholas Bache Barlow Davie-Thornhill of Stanton Estate, are named in the notice.

The enforcement notice requires that engineering works and developments which have been carried out on this sensitive piece of land are removed and the land reinstated. The land is designated by PDNPA as a Natural Zone, the highest category of conservation protection.

Areas that need to be removed and reinstated include a parking area, steps which had been installed, removal of a tipi and a path.

The notice says: “…the public has a ‘right to roam’ across the land on foot. The developments fail to respect or enhance the character of their surroundings and have a significant harmful effect on the character and appearance of the landscape.”

Residents from Cressbrook, Ravensdale and surrounding villages have been campaigning to protect the land and welcomed the enforcement notice.

John Butler, Chair of the community group that has been leading on the Save Cressbrook Dale campaign says: “This is a very welcome development in our campaign. We’ve been working hard to raise awareness and ensure that this area of ancient woodland and delicately balanced environment – as noted in the enforcement notice an important Natural Zone -- is protected and remains accessible to everyone. We hope that this enforcement notice will ensure that the land is restored and that further development does not take place.” 

-- Ends –

The full text of the Enforcement Notice can be read on the Legal Notices page


What we would like you to do

Thank them for making the Emergency Tree Preservation Order permanent.

Thank them for their prompt action in preventing further unauthorised and damaging work from being undertaken in the dale and for issuing the enforcement notice. Ask them to issue a further enforcement notice for the caravan, tents, toilet tents and pond.  Assure them that they have your gratitude and support. 

The case number is 45793

The postal address for this is..

Peak District National Park Authority

Aldern House

Baslow Road

Bakewell

Derbyshire DE45 1AE

They can also be contacted by email at customer.service@peakdistrict.gov.uk

If you are local;



Background

Cressbrook Dale is a beautiful limestone valley in one of the most beautiful parts of England. It lies between Bakewell and Buxton, in the Peak District National Park and forms part of the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve. It has an extraordinary Natural History and is dear to the people who live here. It is also a favourite of walkers and holidaymakers. The dale is – or was – an unspoiled area of natural woodland and a refuge for many species of plant and animal, some extremely rare indeed. It is crossed by a number of Public Footpaths, it incorporates an area of Access Land (CROW Act)  and all of the woodland is protected by a Group Tree Preservation Order. It borders both Cressbrook Dale National Nature Reserve and Cressbrook Dale Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI). The area also enjoys 'Natural Zone' designation, the most highly protected status within the National Park. Development in the Natural Zone, other than in exceptional circumstances, is not permitted. No exceptional circumstances apply in this case. Find out more in About Cressbrook Dale

To the residents the Dale is a place of calm and beauty in an often troubling world. For many it’s why they chose to live here. For others it’s always been home. 

The village of Cressbrook, population ~175 people, lies immediately adjacent to the dale. In June 2022 the villagers woke up to find that a vast swath of the dale had been sold to a group of people led by a one-time TV personality. The group were deliberately opaque about their aims but it’s since become clear that they believe in some kind of food apocalypse, a social breakdown, a “great reset” as it’s been called and a conspiracy by the World Economic Forum. To save themselves and everyone else they will live and grow food in the woods and feed us all.

The villagers of Cressbrook and adjacent communities do not feel any need to be saved and we are very worried about the impact that the scheme may have – and is already having – both on this delicate and valuable part of the area’s natural ecology and on our own peace and well-being. Already the group have used an earth-mover on site, a car-park has been built, turf dug up to create a path and make flat areas for structures, water-courses have been altered. There are plans to hold festivals and for camping on the site. More recent plans include selling off plots of land measuring 8 metres squared at a cost of £8000 making the value of the land approximately half a million pounds an acre. For this the 'investors' are told they have exclusive rights to the plot and will be able to stay on it whenever they want to. 

For more information please refer to our FAQ page.


What we are doing about it

We have set up a village-wide group and our mission statement is....

To prevent or minimise any changes which may adversely affect Cressbrook Dale and the village of Cressbrook as a result of a change in land ownership. We will pay special attention to:

We will achieve this by:

Our methods are entirely peaceful and our objective is to halt this development legally. There is enough protective legislation in place to halt and reverse what is happening. It is held and implemented by the Peak District National Park Authority and Natural England, who are the major stakeholders in the future of the dale. We act as the eyes and ears on the ground to record and report what is happening so that the appropriate enforcement actions can be enacted by those that hold the power to do so. 

But this will take time and it is very hard for us to watch the dale being destroyed so we are also communicating with you in the surrounding communities and you the wider public to help you to understand what is happening and to inform you that events are being challenged and that action is being taken and to encourage you to join us in our campaign. We have already received a huge amount of support from many of you; our friends and neighbours in Litton, Littonmill, Great Longstone, Tideswell, Wardlow and beyond as well as those of you who used to live here and those of you visiting or simply passing through, showing that our feelings about the situation in the dale are shared. We are also proactively educating people about what makes the dale so special and recording peoples' emotional responses to the recent events, (see our Testimonies Page).

 

Why are we doing this?

Everyone now understands how important nature is for our health and well being. Well, the reverse is also true, when you destroy nature you catastrophically affect health and well being. We're doing it because we've been so emotionally traumatised by what has happened. It is very hard to watch as lorry loads of gravel are delivered, as a digger scrapes away wildflowers destroying habitats and as you discover that your new and very close neighbours have no regard for your feelings, health and well being, for the preciousness of the land and for the institutions set up to protect what is so important to all of us.

Witnessing what is taking place in the Dale compels us to act. We are acting because the integrity of the dale supercedes everything. It was there before us, it has been there for us while we have lived here and we feel that it is imperative that it be there for the people who come after us, and for all of the people who access this beautiful and special part of the Peak District National Park.


What we have achieved so far

Once it became clear that destructive activities were starting to happen in the dale, we began reporting these activities to both Natural England and the Peak District National Park Authority. We have also engaged with a wide range of other bodies who would have in interest in what is happening including;

Although some of these organisations are only indirectly interested in what is happening in Cressbrook Dale, to all of them it is imperative to avoid a very dangerous precedent being set - The laws that protect such sensitive places like Cressbrook Dale must be seen to work .

We are doing everything we can to help the organisations that implement the law to succeed in their work.

Both the Peak District National Park Authority and Natural England have consulted with the owners to advise them on what they can and can't do in such a sensitive location, what laws they need to observe and what permissions they need to seek before embarking on their activities. 

Subsequent to these meetings the owners have ignored all of the advice given to them and pushed ahead with groundworks on the site. 

This has so far resulted in the following significant actions;

Although both TPO and TSN were published, issued to the land's trustees and put up on the land at multiple points on the perimeter the owners took them down and have repeatedly taken them down despite them being renewed by the Authority. This is of no matter in a legal sense because the Orders have been issued and apply regardless but it does reinforce the idea that the new owners have no regard for the protections put in place to safeguard the land they now own. To the best of our knowledge the group have not responded to any requests for compliance by the National Park Authority, believing that co-operation lends legitimacy to a process that they don't recognise and reject outright. Processes that those of us who live and work in the Peak Park comply with because despite sometimes seeming obstructive we understand why these processes are in place and the protective function they perform. Processes which if ignored can lead to uncontrolled and destructive practices.

We will see whether and how Phoenix Rose react to the Enforcement Notice published on the 6th April.

What we would like you to do

If at any point while you are in the dale you are faced with abusive or aggressive behaviour from anyone else on the land you should report this directly to the police. You can either call them on 101 or you can use the on-line reporting tool, which is here. We recommend using the anti-social behaviour option. 


Thank them for making the Emergency Tree Preservation Order permanent.

Thank them for their prompt action in preventing further unauthorised and damaging work from being undertaken in the dale and for issuing the enforcement notice. Ask them to issue a further enforcement notice requesting the removal of the tents, toilet tents, caravan and pond.  Assure them that they have your gratitude and support. 

The case number is 45793

The postal address for this is..

Peak District National Park Authority

Aldern House

Baslow Road

Bakewell

Derbyshire DE45 1AE

They can also be contacted by email at customer.service@peakdistrict.gov.uk

If you are local;

Thank you for reading and sharing this website

contactus@savecressbrookdale.com