The Community & Environment Committee were scheduled to meet on 11 September 2025, to discuss the renewal of a Public Spaces Protection Order, and updates to the Local Validation Checklist. The meeting was to be held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Bank Road, Matlock. Councillor Martin Burfoot, Chair of the Community & Environment Committee was scheduled to chair the meeting.

Public Spaces Protection Order 2025-2028

The main item for discussion was the renewal of the District Council's Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which was scheduled to expire on 9 October 2025. A report was prepared for the attendees to reflect on the 2022 – 2025 Order and propose a new PSPO for 2025 - 2028 with revisions, particularly around the fires & BBQ control.

The report included the following recommendations:

• To retain the Dog Controls with amendments.
• To approve the Parks Order with amendments.
• To approve the Moorlands Fires and BBQ Order with additions.
• To keep the Expression of Interest form for the Moorlands Fires & BBQs Order open, so that landowners may have an opportunity each year for their land to be considered for exclusion in the next financial year. It was recommended that Delegated Authority be given to the Director of Community & Environmental Services in conjunction with the Chair of Community & Environment Committee, if the requests meet the criteria to approve their inclusion in the Moorlands Fires & BBQs PSPO.
• That the Committee authorises the Director of Community & Environmental Services to write to the Secretary of State to seek an increase in the fine amount specifically relating to breaches of a Fires & BBQ PSPO.

The 2022-2025 order included controls to:

• Prohibit open fires and BBQs
• Prohibit dog fouling
• Impose restrictions on the walking or exercise of dogs
• Prohibit the consumption of alcohol

The report noted that the 2022-2025 Order had been monitored through the District Council's online reporting system, and via emails and calls to the Neighbourhoods Team.

For dog fouling incidents, the report stated that there had been 135 incidents reported via the District Council's online facility in 2023, 186 in 2024, and 58 from 1 January to 30 June 2025.

Dog Control Order

The report stated that proposals for the 2025 - 2028 Order include the previous controls around dog fouling, with some minor amendments suggested. It was noted that the Dog Control Order includes a general catch all for the prohibition of dog fouling, covering any land within the administrative area of Derbyshire Dales District Council which the public has access to.

The proposed revisions to the current Dog Control Order included the following:

• Re-introducing dogs on leads and dog exclusion from the Cavendish Drive play area.
• Introducing dogs on leads in Riverside Gardens to be consistent with Riverside Walk.
• Introducing dog exclusion at Birchover Recreation Ground at the request of the Parish Council.
• Removing controls at The Plain due to no support or response from the Parish Council.
• Removing dogs on lead control at Brassington Picnic Area.
• Adding tennis courts as an exclusion at Hulland Ward Play Area Ashes Lane at the request of the Parish Council.
• Removing controls at Kniveton Recreation Ground Main Street due to no support or response from the Parish Council
• New control for dogs on leads at Knowlestone Gardens to be consistent with adjoining areas.
• Removing lead by direction control at Victoria Gardens as the area is too small & has no physical barriers.
• New control for dogs on leads at Huntsbridge Recreation Ground in response to issues raised by members of the public and the Clean & Green Team.
• Changing from dogs on leads to exclusion at The Plantation at the request of the Parish Council.
• Removing Sudbury Sports Field, Main Road from the PSPO as the land belongs to the National Trust.
• New request for Dog Exclusion at Abigail's Park, Whitecross Road, Richard Lane Playground, Richard Lane and Town Head Playground, Alma Road at the request of Tideswell Parish Council.
• New control for dogs on leads at The Meadows at the request of Wirksworth Town Council.

Parks Order

The report stated that it was proposed to create a Parks Order to encompass the current alcohol and fires & BBQs controls in the District Council's main parks. It was also proposed to add two new controls to prohibit parking & driving and camping in some locations where there have been reports of such activities taking place.

The new controls were proposed for the following locations:

• Parking and driving controls at Bakewell Recreation Ground, Matlock Hall Leys Park and Matlock Bath Derwent Gardens & Lovers Walk.
• No camping at Rutland Recreation Ground & Scot's Gardens, Hall Leys Park & Knowlestone Gardens and Derwent Gardens & Lovers Walk.

Moorland Fires and BBQs Order

The Draft Moorland Fires and BBQs proposals included the extension of prohibited activities to include:

• The lighting of fires;
• The lighting or use of stoves, barbecues and other devices using an open flame;
• The discarding of lighted matches and other things likely to cause fire;

It was proposed that this will apply to:

• Land to which the public has access; and
• Land which is in the open air and is:
  • listed in Schedule 1 of this Order;
  • access land within the meaning of Part 1 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000¹,
  • Restricted byway within the meaning of section 48 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000,
  • cycle track, footpath or bridleway within the meaning of section 329 of the Highways Act 1980, or
  • highway over which the public have a right of way for vehicular and all other kinds of traffic, but which is used by the public mainly for the purpose for which footpaths and bridleways are so used.

Expressions of Interest for land to be included had been received from:

• Chatsworth House Trust for Chatsworth Park, Stand Wood and Calton Lees Car Park.
• National Trust South Peak Estate Office: for Dovedale - the land to the east of the river Dove, from Thorpe Pastures, through Milldale, and Wolfscote Dale and Biggin Dale, and all other National Trust land within the Derbyshire Dales DC area.
• National Trust / Longshaw: for National Trust Longshaw Estate including Dennis Knoll at Outseats Hathersage.
• RSPB: for land encompassing the Eastern Peak district edges above Froggatt, Curbar and Baslow, consisting of SSSI moorland at Big Moor, Leash Fen, Jack Flat and Clod Hall Moor.

Consultation Responses

The report included responses from statutory consultees, including:

• Derbyshire Constabulary
• Derbyshire County Council Community Safety
• Peak District National Park Authority

Inspector John Troup of Derbyshire Constabulary stated that any enforcement of the Fires and BBQ PSPO would not be a priority for the police, and they would not proactively enforce or monitor it. He requested that it is made clear in signage and any communications that breaches should be reported to the district council for investigation and enforcement, as necessary.

Robert Kenning, Ranger Team Manager at Peak District National Park Authority, stated that they support the proposed PSPO, especially as a means to mitigate the risk of wildfire within the National Park, and are happy for any land owned by Peak District National Park Authority to be included in the PSPO coverage for Derbyshire Dales. He also expressed concerns about the blanket inclusion of camping stoves in the year-round exclusion, and suggested a guidance-based approach on stove use, similar to the model used in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.

Local Validation Checklist Updating

The Community and Environment Committee were also scheduled to discuss a report to update the local validation list that was approved at Community and Environment Committee on 16 January and subsequently came into effect on 21 April 2025.

The report noted that it had since become apparent that further amendments need to be made to the local validation checklist to ensure that it remains up-to-date with national or local policy changes.

The report recommended that delegated authority be given to the Director of Place and Economy, with the agreement of the Chair of the Planning Committee, to make any future minor updates to the local validation checklist.

The main amendments to the validation checklist were summarised as:

• the addition of a checklist matrix to provide an easy overview of documents required to support planning applications;
• subject to further discussions with the Lead Local Flood Risk Authority (LLFA) the addition of a requirement for Flood Risk Assessments and drainage assessments to be independently verified;
• Biodiversity Net Gain further clarity of submission requirements.

The report stated that the use of a local list is supported by the government within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG).

The report included the updated Local Validation List as an appendix.