PEAK Resort Breaks Ground
Work has started on PEAK, a long-planned gateway resort on the eastern edge of the Peak District, with Phase One due to open to visitors in 2027/28.
The scheme has consent on 283 acres (114 hectares) of reclaimed former opencast land and is billed as the UK's first purpose-built national park gateway resort town. It will act as a base for exploring the 550 square mile National Park, with a mobility system, similar in concept to a ski resort, linking trails and country lanes without the need for a car and aiming to create the UK's largest integrated cycling and hiking region.
Planning approvals total 1.8 million sq ft (168,000 sq m) for a mixed-use development serving day and overnight visitors. They cover experiential retail, leisure and education facilities, a wellness clinic with operating theatres, 2,850 parking spaces, up to 2,000 hotel rooms and 250 holiday lodges, plus the resort's own green energy park and utilities.
The project will be delivered through phased ground leases. Heads of terms have been agreed on the first two anchor plots, with Colliers acting as real estate adviser and leasing agent for landowner Birchall Properties. Phase One represents about 30% of the consented scheme. Once complete, PEAK could have a development value above £1 billion and support thousands of jobs, while around 70% of the estate will be kept for biodiversity and access to nature.
Sheffield City Region provided £2.85m for the completed road access from the A61 at Sheepbridge and new public rights of way. Booths Group is lead contractor for the land formation works.
Supporters include Chesterfield Borough Council leader Cllr Tricia Gilby, the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and Visit Peak District and Derbyshire, which said the hotels would help attract more groups and international visitors while the transport system would reduce traffic at busy spots. Colliers' James Shorthouse welcomed the jobs and visitors it would bring to Chesterfield and the East Midlands, and Rupert Carr of Birchall Properties noted that more than 30 years and millions of pounds have gone into reviving the site and securing planning.
