Wikipedia

High Peak Borough Council

High Peak Borough Council is the local authority for High Peak, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Derbyshire, England. The administrative base of High Peak Borough Council is split between sites in the towns of Buxton and Glossop. Full council meetings are usually held at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton. The council is elected every four years.

High Peak Borough Council
Coat of arms or logo
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Stewart Gardner,
Labour
since 9 May 2024
Anthony McKeown,
Labour
since 15 May 2019
Andrew Stokes
since September 2020[1]
Structure
Seats43 councillors
Political groups
Administration (29)
  Labour (29)
Other parties (14)
  Conservative (10)
  Green (2)
  Liberal Democrats (1)
  Independent (1)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Pavilion Gardens, St John's Road, Buxton, SK17 6BE
Website
www.highpeak.gov.uk

History

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High Peak Borough Council was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new council replaced the councils of six former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[2]

The new district was named "High Peak" after the medieval hundred of High Peak, which had covered much of the area.[3] The district was granted borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.[4]

In February 2008, the council formed a strategic alliance with the neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to share a number of services and staff as a way of reducing costs, including a shared chief executive and senior management team.[5][6]

Governance

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High Peak Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Derbyshire County Council.[7] Much of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. The towns of Buxton and Glossop are unparished areas, with High Peak Borough Council performing functions in those towns that would otherwise be the responsibility of parish councils.[8]

Large parts of the borough are within the Peak District National Park. In those areas, town planning is the responsibility of the Peak District National Park Authority.[9] The borough council appoints two of its councillors to serve on the 30-person National Park Authority.[10]

Political control

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The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.[11]

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[12][13]

Party in control Years
No overall control 1974–1976
Conservative 1976–1979
No overall control 1979–1995
Labour 1995–2003
No overall control 2003–2007
Conservative 2007–2011
No overall control 2011–2015
Conservative 2015–2019
Labour 2019–2022
No overall control 2022–2023
Labour 2023–present

Leadership

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The role of Mayor of High Peak is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2003 have been:[14]

Councillor Party From To
David Lomax Liberal Democrats 2003 2007
John Faulkner Conservative 2007 2008
Tony Ashton Conservative 2008 May 2011
Caitlin Bisknell[15] Labour May 2011 10 May 2015
Tony Ashton Conservative 19 May 2015 15 May 2019
Anthony McKeown Labour 15 May 2019

The council is run using the leader and cabinet model. The leader is appointed by the council, and is usually the group leader of the largest party. The leader then chooses other members to form a cabinet, which is known as the executive at High Peak Borough Council. As of July 2023 the executive comprised:[16]

Role Councillor
Leader of the Council Anthony McKeown
Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure Damien Greenhalgh
Executive Member for Housing and Licensing Fiona Sloman
Executive Member for Corporate Services and Finance Alan Barrow
Executive Member for Climate Change and Environment Jean Todd
Executive Member for Community Safety and Planning Godfrey Claff

Composition

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Following the 2023 election, the composition of the council was:[17]

Party Councillors
Labour 29
Conservative 10
Green 2
Liberal Democrats 1
Independent 1
Total 43

The next election is due in 2027.

Premises

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Full council meetings are generally held at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton.[18] The council's office functions are split between Buxton Town Hall and the Municipal Buildings in Glossop, both buildings having been inherited from the council's predecessor authorities.[19]

The council also inherited offices at Chinley from Chapel-en-le-Frith Rural District Council. The Chinley complex had been built in 1902 as an isolation hospital and had been bought by the rural district council in 1953 and converted to become its offices.[20][21] High Peak Borough Council used the Chinley buildings as its main offices and meeting place with the other buildings serving as additional offices until 2010, when the Chinley site was closed and subsequently sold as a cost-saving measure.[22]

Mayor of High Peak

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The mayor presides at meetings of the council and acts as first citizen of the borough.[23] The role is usually held by a different councillor each year. They are expected to be politically impartial during their term of office as mayor, although they do get an additional casting vote in the event of a tie.[24] The current mayor is Peter Inman, who was elected as Mayor of High Peak for 2023/24. The current Deputy Mayor is Stewart Gardner.[25]

Former Mayors of the Borough of High Peak include:[26]

  • 2010–11: Graham Oakley
  • 2011–12: David Lomax
  • 2012–13: Pat Jenner
  • 2013–14: Tony Kemp
  • 2014–15: Alan Barrow
  • 2015–16: Stuart Young
  • 2016–17: George Wharmby
  • 2017–18: Matt Stone
  • 2018–19: Linda Grooby
  • 2019–21: Ed Kelly[a]
  • 2021–22: Paul Hardy
  • 2022–23: Ollie Cross

Elections

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See also: High Peak Borough Council elections

Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 43 councillors elected from 28 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[27]

Wards and councillors

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Map of electoral wards in High Peak

As of June 2023 the 43 councillors were:[28]

Ward Political Party Councillor
Barms Labour Rachel QUINN
Blackbrook Independent Dan CAPPER
Labour Angela BENHAM
Burbage Labour Chris PAYNE
Buxton Central Labour Payge HACKING
Jean TODD
Chapel East Conservative Nigel GOURLAY
Chapel West Conservative Cath SIZELAND
Labour Sally DE PEE
Corbar Labour and Co-operative Madeline HALL
Conservative Chris MORTEN
Cote Heath Conservative Linda GROOBY
Conservative Kev KIRKHAM
Dinting Conservative Dom ELLIOT-STARKEY
Gamesley Labour and Co-operative Anthony McKEOWN
Hadfield North Labour Gillian CROSS
Hadfield South Labour Robert McKEOWN
Edward SIDDALL
Hayfield Labour Gillian SCOTT
Hope Valley Green Joanna COLLINS
Charlotte FARRELL
Howard Town Labour Godfrey CLAFF
Labour and Co-operative Damien GREENHALGH
Limestone Peak Conservative Peter ROBERTS
New Mills East Labour Alan BARROW
Ian HUDDLESTONE
New Mills West Labour Simon EVANS
Labour Jennifer BENZER
Old Glossop Conservative Adrian HOPKINSON
Paul HARDY
Padfield Labour Ollie CROSS
Sett Labour Peter INMAN
Simmondley Labour Stewart GARDNER
Labour Pamela MACKIE
St John's Labour Pauline BELL
Stone Bench Labour Matt TAYLOR
Fiona SLOMAN
Temple Conservative Pam REDDY
Tintwistle Labour Rob BAKER
Whaley Bridge Labour Neville CLARKE
Jo TAYLOR
Liberal Democrats David LOMAX
Whitfield Labour Barbara HASTINGS-ASATOURIAN

Arms

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Coat of arms of High Peak Borough Council
Notes
Granted 1976[29]
Crest
On a wreath Or and Vert a piece of Blue john stone Proper within a chevron Sable.
Escutcheon
Sable three piles Or on a base enarched Vert fimbrated Or a fountain.
Supporters
On either side a stag Or attired and unguled Sable gorged with a mural crown Vert and resting the interior hind leg on a piece of Blue John Stone Proper.
Motto
Consilio Semper Publico (Ever in the Public Interest)
Badge
A fountain within a triangle Sable.

References

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  1. ^ Served two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  1. ^ Jackson, Leslie (30 October 2020). "Alliance councils welcome new chief executive after two officers quit". In Your Area. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  2. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan District (Definition) Order 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1972/2039, retrieved 22 August 2022
  3. ^ "The English Non-metropolitan District (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/551, retrieved 22 August 2022
  4. ^ "District Councils and Boroughs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 March 1974. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Tenders and contracts". Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Alliance councils welcome new Chief Executive". High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 31 May 2023
  8. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Planning". Peak District National Park Authority. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Our members by appointing authority". Peak District National Park Authority. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  11. ^ Torr, George; Roberts, Georgia (5 May 2023). "Local elections 2023: Labour big winners across Derbyshire". BBC News. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  13. ^ "High Peak". BBC News. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  14. ^ "Council minutes". High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  15. ^ Rowley, Tom (6 May 2011). "Vote 2011: Labour take control of High Peak after big gains in Glossop". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  16. ^ "The Executive". High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  18. ^ "Council meetings calendar". High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  19. ^ "Find us". High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  20. ^ "High Peak Isolation Hospital: The Opening". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 2 May 1902. p. 5. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Derbyshire Family History Society, March Quarter 2013, pg 15" (PDF).
  22. ^ "Council Office closure to save money and improve services". High Peak Borough Council. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  23. ^ "Mayor of High Peak". High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  24. ^ "Constitution: Council and committee procedure rules" (PDF). High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  25. ^ "High Peak's new Mayor and Deputy Mayor unveiled". Glossop Chronicle. Quest Media Network. 19 May 2023. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Mayors and Mayoresses of High Peak since 1973" (PDF). High Peak Borough Council. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  27. ^ "The High Peak (Electoral Changes) Order 2015", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2015/78, retrieved 25 July 2023
  28. ^ "Your Council". High Peak Borough Council. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  29. ^ "East Midlands Region". Civic Heraldry of England. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
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