Opportunities and challenges across the Peak District were highlighted at a key discussion event in Derbyshire.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward hosted a Peak Partnership Summit at Bakewell Town Hall, the latest in a series of events designed for the Mayor to engage directly with communities and stakeholders across the region.
Mayor Claire said: “This was about bringing people together to talk about the challenges and the opportunities here in the Peak District.
“We’re lucky to have such a fantastic asset in the Peak District. However, we also know it brings challenges on transport and congestion, so how do we protect our environment and this beautiful place in which residents want to live and to work? Those are the questions I’ve been asking.”
The Peak District National Park consistently ranks in the top three most-visited destinations in the UK, with nearly 14 million international and domestic visitors each year, supporting 30,000 direct and indirect jobs across the three regions and delivering a near £3 billion annual economic impact.
The Summit included speeches from the Mayor and Phil Mulligan, Chief Executive of the Peak District National Park Authority, followed by round-table discussions and a question & answer session with the invited guests. Topics discussed included visitor numbers, transport, jobs and the rural economy, as well as housing affordability.
Mr Mulligan said: “There was a great level of engagement in the room and it was wonderful to see so many of the partners involved in helping manage the National Park present. We had politicians, we had parishes, we had communities, we had businesses and there’s a real sense of working together to try to crack this issue about how people get here.”
The Summit followed the launch of the Peak Partnership earlier this year. The partnership is a commitment by Mayor Claire, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham and Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard.
The partnership recognises that, while the Peak District is located predominantly in Derbyshire, parts of it stretch into Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, with people living, working and travelling between the regions daily. The three Mayors and their authorities have committed to working with each other, local councils, and other stakeholders to develop a joined-up, holistic approach to the future of the National Park.
The summit was designed to explore how the East Midlands can lead delivery and drive momentum behind the partnership’s ambitions.
Published on: 5 December 2025
Categories: Economic Development, News