Derbyshire Dales Local Plan 2026 – 2042 Pre-Submission Draft Consultation (Regulation 19)
Have Your Say – 3rd August to 14th September
Derbyshire Dales District Council is consulting upon the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan 2026 – 2042, in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. A Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of the Local Plan, also incorporating the requirements of the European Directive 2001/42/EC (the SEA Directive) has been carried out and this appraisal is available for consultation.
The Derbyshire Dales Local Plan sets out the overall vision, objectives, and polices for the future development of the district outside the National Park for the period up to 2042.
This period of public consultation allows you to have your say on the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan. It is the final stage of consultation on the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan before it is subject to an Examination in Public, held by an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. The Inspector is required to consider whether the plan has been prepared in accordance with the relevant Regulations and is ‘sound.’
A copy of the pre-submission documents, comprising the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan, Sustainability Appraisal and all other relevant documents and supporting evidence will be available on the District Councils website at www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/localplan from Monday 3rd August 2026.
We would like your comments on the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Pre-Submission Draft, in particular whether you consider the plan is legally compliant and is ‘sound’.
To help you find out how to respond to the consultation, Public Exhibitions will be held on the following dates and locations, staffed by District Councillors and Planning Policy officers:
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There will also be two Online Workshops:
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To request a link to the online meeting, please email: localplan@derbyshiredales.gov.uk
A copy of the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Pre Submission Draft Plan will be available to view during normal opening hours at Matlock Town Hall; at Ashbourne, Matlock and Wirksworth libraries; and at Ashbourne Leisure Centre.
How to make representations (comments)
The consultation period on the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Pre Submission Draft Plan will run for a period of six weeks from 8am on Monday 3rd August until 5pm on Monday 14th September 2026. Comments received after this time cannot be considered.
Anybody who wishes to make representations on the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Pre Submission Draft may do so by completing the online survey which can be found on the District Council’s website at www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/local-plan-consultation
We encourage you to use the online form wherever possible. Responses must follow the statutory consultation format, and the online consultation survey will guide you to do this.
Group representations – where groups or individuals share a common view on the plan, you can consider making a single representation which represents that view, rather than many separate representations repeating the same points. In such cases, the group should indicate how many people it is representing and how the representation has been authorised.
Please note that all comments and the surname of the individual or name of the organisation responsible for them will be available in the public domain and may be viewed at Council offices.
Please also note that a separate survey will need to be filled out for each representation. If you wish to comment on several different parts of the Draft Local Plan, you will need to complete a separate survey for each part. This is so that your comments on each section can be recorded properly and taken into account by the Planning Policy team.
If necessary, representations may also be submitted by email to: localplan@derbyshiredales.gov.uk or by requesting a paper copy of the form and sending to:
Derbyshire Dales District Council (Derbyshire Dales Local Plan Pre Submission Draft)
Town Hall
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 3NN
Tel: 01629 761101
Once this final consultation has closed, the Council will consider the representations received and how to respond to them before the Local Plan can be submitted to the Secretary of State in December 2026.
After that, the Local Plan will be independently examined by a Planning Inspector through an Examination in Public. The process includes public sessions where the Inspector will consider whether the Plan has been prepared in accordance with legal requirements and is sound. You can use the form to apply to speak in these public sessions, if you wish to. This is expected in the summer of 2027 with the new Local Plan likely to be finally adopted early in 2028.
More information including frequently asked questions is also available on the District Council’s Local Plan web pages: www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/local-plan-consultation