Track the business activity and commercial plans of Peak District National Park Authority — identify tender and future spending opportunities before they reach the market, follow cabinet and committee decisions, and understand the council’s priorities, with intelligence extracted from 24 analysed meetings.
Meetings analysed24
Procurement opportunities28
Pressures tracked11
Estimated pipeline value£149m–£162m
Active procurement topics
Over the last 12 months, the most frequently discussed commercial topics in this council's meetings have been Construction & Building Works (25 mentions, easing), Professional Services (21 mentions, easing), IT & Digital (19 mentions, easing) and Highways & Transport (15 mentions, easing).
Commercial signals extracted from recent Peak District National Park Authority meetings — approvals, budget decisions and early procurement discussions, before a tender is published.
The committee received an update that the planning service is now performing well, with around 85-90% of decisions made on time, apprenticeships starting, and a clearer career structure developing. The update also mentioned a review of the local validation list, standard conditions, consultation inputs from specialist officers, and a proposed career-graded conservation officer post, indicating potential future administrative and professional staffing requirements.
“Um that's just for members to note um following the um problems that the planning service faced a couple of years ago. Um there's now good trends emerging in terms of the planning uh case load in particular. Excellent performance in fact. um uh around 85 to 90% of decisions being…”
The committee approved a barn conversion and extension at Rake End Farm, Monach, despite officer recommendation for refusal. Members were persuaded by the applicant’s local-need case, the farmstead context, stepped roof lines in the area, and the retention of the historic structure. Approval was subject to a long list of conditions covering materials, ecology, archaeology, parking, drainage/heat-pump details and permitted development restrictions.
“So to summarize, the raising of the roof by 1.3 mters would fundamentally alter the historic character and appearance of this veracular building which is deemed to be a non-desated heritage asset in a manner which is in will be done in a manner which would harm the charact and ap…”
The committee supported accepting DERA access capital funding of £255,900 this year, with indicative funding for the next two years and delegated authority to accept up to £350,000 per year (£1.05 million total) if additional funding becomes available. The funding continues delivery of access-for-all improvements and associated physical accessibility assets.
“Access capital funding from DERA has been offered for this year and is indicative for the two years following. The amount of 255.9,000 is at the same level as last year. This will continue with the delivery for access for all. A summary of the delivery in year four that's 2526 th…”
The committee refused the retrospective and revised market-dwelling scheme for the Barn at Church Lane, Tideswell. Members accepted the principle of conversion but concluded the raised roof, large rear extension and wall alterations harmed the barn’s character, the conservation area and the fossilised field boundary, and that the proposal did not provide enough compromise to justify a market dwelling under policy HC1.
“Um, the application is for change of use, alterations, and extension of the barn to a market dwelling. Um, you've got the site location on the screen in front of you. Just before I talk through the slides, it is set out in the um committee report, but I thought it would be helpfu…”
Moors for the Future reported a large 2026-27 programme with about £6 million of capital works, active recruitment to expand the team, and major reliance on water company and National Highways funding. The delivery plan also stressed contractor capacity, framework contracts, multi-year awards and the need to support specialist suppliers to scale up for peatland restoration work.
“So, we are a growing team. Currently, we've got 35 full-time equivalents, but we are actively recruiting for more people at the moment to help us uh deliver our program over the next coming years. Um we still enjoy really strong support from our partners, and indeed that's growin…”
The committee refused both planning permission and listed building consent for a glazed rear and side extension at Old Hall, finding less-than-substantial but significant harm to the listed building. Officers said the proposal would cut across key historic features and obscure the building's evolution, so it was not acceptable in its current form.
“This application follows the refusal of a um an applications for extension in uh essentially the the the same position um which was a more solid extension and uh that was refused by by members. Um this application takes a different form. It's more lightweight in terms of its glaz…”
The committee considered several planning applications with direct procurement and spending implications, including approval of a seven-home conversion at Gernon Manor with affordable housing and supporting site works, refusal of a listed-building extension at Old Hall, approval of a garage/store at The Barn after design amendments, and refusal of a garage conversion in Bradwell due to parking policy conflicts. Discussion also highlighted conditions and possible future procurement around landscaping, drainage, sustainability measures such as solar PV, and tree protection.
The committee considered three main procurement-relevant planning matters: a refused proposal for two affordable homes in Tideswell due to harm to mature trees, conservation area character and biodiversity; a barn conversion in Low Bradfield where the key issues were access track works, heritage conservation and potential restoration funding; and a seasonal campsite in Weton where members ultimately deferred refusal to allow resolution of biodiversity net gain, toilet block design, screening and seasonal occupation details. The meeting also noted continued strong enforcement performance and a bridge condition removal at Spittle House Bridge.
The meeting focused on mineral permission reviews for Hope limestone and shale quarries, with members strongly supporting updated restoration and aftercare conditions, nature recovery, and delegated authority for officers. A major industrial extension at Bell Engineering was also approved, with a section 106 needed to protect the old permission. The committee noted six dismissed appeals, then debated a contentious barn conversion at Tideswell, ultimately refusing it because the scale of alterations and extension was judged to harm the barn and conservation area and go beyond policy expectations.
The committee received a detailed update on Moors for the Future’s AMP 8 peatland restoration programme, including a much larger 5-year investment pipeline funded mainly by three water companies, contractor capacity constraints, and the benefits of new SharePoint-based programme management. Members also discussed severe wildfire risk, the need for better prevention and enforcement, possible PSPOs and ranger-led interventions, and the operational response to protect restoration investment. The meeting also confirmed moving into exempt business for finance, legal and staffing-related agenda items.
The meeting focused on access and active travel improvements, rights of way maintenance, and major future infrastructure proposals affecting the Peak District. Members discussed substantial new funding for access, trails, habitat and capital works; the management of water erosion and road/route damage; the Monsal Trail and wider active travel plans; and the Peak Cluster carbon capture project at pre-application stage. There were also updates on the authority’s 75th anniversary work, ranger strategy, local plan review, and communications around water safety.
The meeting covered several procurement and funding-related matters, led by a major A57 Snake Pass road safety scheme with average speed cameras and supporting highway works, plus updates on internal audit of procurement controls, the authority’s risk register, member training, and partnership funding. Members also heard strong progress on the National Park Foundation’s fundraising and grant delivery, Moors for the Future’s growing programme and contractor capacity needs, and biodiversity duty reporting linked to future nature recovery and planning work. Other notable items included wildfire response coordination and local plan-related policy and implementation issues.