Derbyshire Dales Conservatives are calling for an independent inquiry into the fiasco of the proposed Matlock Wolds development and have submitted a motion to implement this for the next Full Council at Derbyshire Dales District Council.
The recent news that the Planning Inspector dismissed the appeal to build over 400 homes at Gritstone Road on the Wolds in Matlock was hugely pleasing.
The conduct of Derbyshire Dales District Council must come under greater examination. In making such a comprehensive legal case to attempt secure this development, the council spent a huge amount on legal fees. An independent inquiry must find out why the advice changed to lead to the council changing its position, what the advice was and secure the release of important meeting minutes. The public deserves to know.
Derbyshire Dales District Council is proposing a “task and finish group” with just local councillors from Matlock and one from each political group - this simply does not go far enough. Any internal inquiry like this would just be the council marking its own homework. An inquiry must have the trust of the residents.
This is why Conservative Group Leader on Derbyshire Dales District Council Cllr Stuart Lees has tabled the motion calling for a truly independent inquiry, and it has been seconded by Conservative Group Deputy Leader Cllr Susan Hobson. The motion has been listed as item 15 (the final item) on the agenda for Full Council on Thursday 25th September: click here Conservatives in Derbyshire Dales sincerely hope the meeting lasts long enough so that Cllr Stuart Lees can make the crucial case for the independent inquiry. Conservatives have also laid down an amendment to the "task and finish group" to make this much more independent and transparent.
We are extremely grateful to the Wolds Action Group for their determination and sustained opposition. This group deserves huge credit for their heroic work and the time has come from the truth to be known.
Lessons have not been learned from the Hasker Farm debacle of recent years, in which there was a severe lapse in governance, due diligence, and public accountability. This simply cannot continue to happen.
This site at Gritstone Road would have both destroyed our precious green fields and increased the risk of flooding, with the site impacting several natural watercourses.
Matlock has been plagued by flooding in the past, and this development would have made the millions of pounds of flood defence investment by the then Conservative government much less effective.
Housing will continue to be part of discussions in our area and we have already expressed concerns about undemocratic changes to planning law by the Labour government recently. Read more: click here
Local people stood up and rejected this development and know what’s best for their area. It’s time they got the answers on why the Liberal Democrat-led District Council dropped its opposition to the site and spent a huge amount of taxpayers’ money (£192,000) campaigning against residents.
Please sign below if you agree that we need a truly indepdent inquiry.