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Derbyshire Dales Planning: A 2026 Guide for the Peak District Fringe

Bhavesh Ramburn

Derbyshire Dales planning: which authority handles yours?

If you are searching for a planning application in Matlock, Bakewell, Ashbourne, Wirksworth, Darley Dale, Cromford, Hathersage, Eyam, Youlgreave, Winster, Tideswell, or any of the villages and rural areas of the Derbyshire Dales district, the responsible Local Planning Authority (LPA) depends on whether the property is inside or outside the Peak District National Park.

Outside the National Park, the LPA is Derbyshire Dales District Council (headquartered in Matlock). The council is a non-metropolitan district in the south of Derbyshire, taking in the eastern fringe of the Peak District and the valleys of the Derwent and Dove. The planning service can be accessed via the Derbyshire Dales District Council planning service page.

Inside the Peak District National Park, the LPA is the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA), headquartered in Bakewell. The Authority is a statutory body set up under the Environment Act 1995 and is responsible for planning, conservation, and recreation across the whole of the Peak District.

A small part of the district is also within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site (a UNESCO inscription covering the historic mill complexes of Cromford, Belper, and Derwent Mills). The World Heritage Site is a material planning consideration but does not change the LPA — the application is still made to Derbyshire Dales District Council or to the Peak District National Park Authority, depending on whether the property falls inside the National Park boundary.

The Derbyshire County Council is a separate planning authority for minerals, waste, and county matters, and is not the LPA for residential or commercial development in the Derbyshire Dales.

How the English planning system applies in the Derbyshire Dales

The Derbyshire Dales is in England, so the primary statute is the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, supplemented by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (the GPDO) which grants Permitted Development rights for certain categories of building work.

The relevant local development plan is the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan (adopted December 2017), which sets out policies for housing, employment, retail, heritage, design, and the environment across the district to 2033. The Plan allocates housing sites in Matlock, Bakewell, Ashbourne, Wirksworth, Darley Dale, and several villages. The Plan is currently under review.

For the Peak District National Park, the equivalent local plan is the Peak District National Park Authority Local Plan (adopted 2022), which sets out planning policy across the whole of the National Park.

For the broader PD framework that governs what you can build in the Derbyshire Dales without applying, see our guide on Permitted Development Rights in 2026.

How to view or comment on a current Derbyshire Dales planning application

Public access to the live application register is a statutory right under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Derbyshire Dales operates a public-access planning register that lists all live and decided cases. The register is accessible via the Derbyshire Dales District Council planning service.

The Peak District National Park Authority also operates a public-access planning register for applications within the National Park. You can search both registers from each LPA’s planning service page.

You can also use the Planning Portal for national searches. Members of the public have at least 21 days from the date an application is advertised (site notice and/or neighbour letter) to submit written comments. Comments must relate to material planning considerations — impact on amenity, design, traffic, ecology, residential amenity, heritage, or compliance with the local development plan. In a National Park, comments that raise issues of landscape impact, dark-sky compliance, or the conservation of the cultural heritage of the Park will be treated as material.

Application fees and statutory timelines

Application fees in England are set centrally by the Town and Country Planning (Fees) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). Indicative fees for the most common application types in 2026:

  • Householder application (extensions and alterations to an existing dwelling): £258.
  • Full planning permission for a new dwelling: £541 plus £162 for each additional dwelling.
  • Change of use: varies by class, typically £541 or higher.
  • Prior notification / prior approval (where applicable under the GPDO 2015): £120.
  • Listed Building Consent (where the property is statutorily listed): £293.

The statutory determination period is 8 weeks for householder and most local applications under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and 13 weeks for major developments (defined under the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015). Both Derbyshire Dales and the PDNPA generally meet these targets but can extend via a further-information request that pauses the clock.

For an appeal against a refusal or conditions, the appeal is made to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol. For a walkthrough of the English appeals process, see our UK planning appeals guide.

Conservation areas in the Derbyshire Dales

The Derbyshire Dales has a substantial stock of historic towns and conservation areas, reflecting the area’s long history as a centre of lead mining, textile milling, and agricultural improvement. Designated Conservation Areas include:

  • Matlock — the historic spa town of Matlock Bath, the Victorian hydros and the Heights of Abraham cable car.
  • Cromford — the historic mill village founded by Sir Richard Arkwright in 1771, a key part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.
  • Wirksworth — a historic market town with a Conservation Area covering the medieval town centre.
  • Eyam — the historic plague village with a Conservation Area, including the Plague Cottages and the Riley Graves.
  • Hathersage — a historic village with a Conservation Area, including the church where Robin Hood is reputedly buried.
  • Bakewell — the historic market town with a Conservation Area including the Bakewell Pudding shops and the 13th-century bridge over the River Wye.
  • Ashbourne — the historic market town with a Conservation Area including the Shrovetide Football pitch.
  • Tideswell — a historic village with a Conservation Area including the 14th-century Cathedral of the Peak.
  • Youlgreave — a historic village with a Conservation Area.
  • Castleton — a historic village with a Conservation Area, dominated by the ruins of Peveril Castle.
  • Hope — a historic village with a Conservation Area.

The Peak District National Park as a whole is a designated National Park, and properties within it are subject to additional planning controls aimed at conserving the landscape. The Peak District National Park Management Plan sets out the strategic objectives for the Park to 2028.

Within a Conservation Area:

  • Six weeks’ notice is required before any work to a tree.
  • Permitted Development rights are restricted for external alterations, cladding, and demolition.
  • Listed Building Consent is required separately for any alteration affecting the character of a listed building.

For the underlying householder-application context — which is the most common Derbyshire Dales application type — see our guide on householder planning permission for a garden office. For the broader UK LPA portal landscape, see our Bradford planning portal guide.

Next steps and resources

Editorial note. This article is for guidance only and does not constitute regulated advice. The Derbyshire Dales straddles the Peak District National Park boundary: properties inside the National Park are decided by the Peak District National Park Authority, not Derbyshire Dales District Council. The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site is a material planning consideration. For project-specific questions, consult a chartered planning professional registered with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).