Reform's Claims about Watery Lane, Ashbourne are Misleading and Inaccurate

The Liberal Democrat-led administration at Derbyshire Dales District Council has rejected a series of factual inaccuracies and misleading claims made by Reform's leadership at Derbyshire County Council, and is calling on them to work cooperatively rather than play politics with a straightforward legal obligation.

Facts Reform Got Wrong
Claim: "There will be no public consultation."
This is factually incorrect. Any development at Watery Lane will require a full planning application. That process includes statutory public consultation, and a public planning committee meeting at which residents are entitled to make representations. The suggestion that this can be "forced through" without residents having a voice is simply wrong.
Claim: The Lib Dems are "rushing this through before they lose control of the council."
This is equally misleading. The Liberal Democrats will remain the largest group on Derbyshire Dales District Council for another two years. There will be no District Council elections in 2027.  The elections expected next May are for new Unitary Authority shadow councils ahead of local government reorganisation in 2028. The existing District Councils will remain in place throughout that transition. This is not a rushed decision; it is the responsible discharge of a long-standing legal duty.

What Reform Hasn't Explained
Reform describes Watery Lane as strategically important County Council land, but has conspicuously failed to say what they actually intend to do with it.
It cannot be for a bypass: the new County Council shelved those plans.  In any case the site does not lie on any previously published route – for the bypass to pass through this site, it would require demolishing the local sewage works and allotments.
It cannot be to expand the nearby recycling facility: the site is not immediately adjacent to it, and the current Reform administration appears to be closing such facilities, not expanding them.
So what exactly are the "strategic plans" that Reform is protecting? Residents deserve an answer.

A Simple, Low-Cost Solution Exists but Reform is blocking it
There is a straightforward way to avoid any legal costs whatsoever: the County Council could agree to lease the land to Derbyshire Dales District Council, as a previous, more cooperative County Council administration was on the verge of doing approximately a decade ago.
At that time, heads of terms for a lease of this very site to Derbyshire Dales were in their final stages.  Then the County Council changed hands in May 2017 and the new Conservative administration withdrew, citing the bypass as a justification - a project that was ultimately abandoned after eight years and around £1 million of public money.
A simple lease agreement would end this matter immediately, at no cost to taxpayers. The refusal to consider this option is the Reform administration's choice and the consequences of any legal costs would rest squarely with them.

The Actual Scale of the Proposal
Reform refers to a "major development." This is a significant overstatement. The proposal is broadly in line with a previous planning permission for four pitches and a utility block. This would likely accommodate one extended family - those to whom the District Council has a legal duty of provision, along with their immediate support network.
The site itself is rough scrub. The closest dwelling on Mayfield Road is approximately 400 metres away.

A Legal Obligation, Not a Political Choice
Derbyshire Dales District Council has a statutory duty to provide approximately eight permanent pitches for Gypsy and Traveller families, based on formally assessed need. This requirement must be reflected in the new Local Plan.
The traveller family in question is currently accommodated on the District Council's own depot site - with the council's permission - while a temporary planning application is progressed. Resolving this through a proper, permanent, planned site is a responsible and legal course of action.

A Call for Cooperation
Councillor Peter Dobbs ward member for Ashbourne North said:
"Reform's press release contains claims that are demonstrably false, and omits the most important facts. There will be full public consultation through the planning process. And there is a simple, cost-free solution on the table - a lease - which the County Council is refusing to discuss.
"We are not seeking confrontation. We are seeking to meet a legal obligation that has been ducked for too long. We would urge Reform to work with us, agree a lease, and get this resolved for the benefit of the whole community."