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Peak gateway resort situated on the eastern boundary of the Peak District has broken ground, with phase one scheduled to open to visitors in 2027/8.
Consisting of 283 acres (114 hectares) of reclaimed former opencast land, Peak proposes the UK’s first purpose built national park gateway “resort town”.
Planning approvals totalling 1.8mft2 (168,000m2) have been granted to facilitate a multi-branded mixed use development available to both day and stay visitors.
The approvals offer extensive experiential retail, a wide range of leisure and educational facilities, a wellness clinic with operating theatres, 2,850 car parking spaces and up to 2,000 hotel rooms and 250 holiday lodges. The development also has consent for its own green energy park and utilities.
Additionally, Peak will offer visitors facilities and services as a base from which to access the trails and attractions of the 550 square mile National Park. Peak’s mobility system will also link up the trails and country lanes of the Peak District without the need for a car and help establish the area as the largest integrated off and on road cycling and hiking region in the UK.
Peak will be delivered by way of an incremental and phased ground leasing strategy. Heads of terms have already been agreed for the first two anchor plots with Colliers acting as real estate adviser and leasing agents for Birchall Properties, the land owner.
Fully implemented Peak has the potential to achieve a development value of over £1bn and sustain thousands of jobs. Around 70% of the reclaimed estate will be set aside for continued biodiversity gains as well as offer nature connectivity.
Booths Group has been appointed lead contractor for the land formation activity.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and acting chair of Destination Chesterfield, said: “Peak offers an opportunity to use formerly open cast land in a way that supports nature but also creates new opportunities for our residents and increases the number of visitors coming to Chesterfield. It is great to see work starting on site and I look forward to seeing the development progress.”
Scott Knowles, CEO of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, added: “Peak’s gateway manifesto provides the opportunity for regional businesses to participate in the construction and operation of a world class ESG exemplar enterprise celebrating and making available the cultural and natural assets of our region.”
James Shorthouse, head of Alternative Markets at Colliers, concluded: “We are delighted to have advised Peak, and to be delivering exciting new developments bringing visitors and employment to Chesterfield and the East Midlands region of the UK.”
