High Peak Borough Council

High Peak Borough Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Mayor	Stewart Gardner, Labour since 9 May 2024
Leader	Anthony McKeown, Labour since 15 May 2019
Chief Executive	Andrew Stokes since September 2020 [1]
Structure
Seats	43 councillors
Political groups	Administration (29)   Labour (29) Other parties (14)   Conservative (10)   Green (2)   Liberal Democrats (1)   Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	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

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.

History

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]

• Buxton Municipal Borough
• Chapel-en-le-Frith Rural District,
• Glossop Municipal Borough
• New Mills Urban District
• Tintwistle Rural District (which had been in the administrative county of Cheshire)
• Whaley Bridge Urban District

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

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

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

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 ^[update] 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

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

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]

• 
  Buxton Town Hall
• 
  Municipal Buildings, Glossop
• 
  Former council offices at Chinley, closed 2010

Mayor of High Peak

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 ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• 2021–22: Paul Hardy
• 2022–23: Ollie Cross

Elections

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

Map of electoral wards in High Peak

As of June 2023 ^[update] 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

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

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.

External links

• High Peak Borough Council