top of page

ANNIVERSARY TREES MARK COUNCIL’S GOLDEN YEAR


Darley Dale's Tippin play area. Civic Chair, Cllr Peter Slack and (from left) Council Leader, Cllr Steve Flitter and former councillor David Fearn, the last surviving member of the original district council
Darley Dale's Tippin play area. Civic Chair, Cllr Peter Slack and (from left) Council Leader, Cllr Steve Flitter and former councillor David Fearn, the last surviving member of the original district council

A native tree has been planted in each of the Derbyshire Dales' five towns to mark the 50th anniversary year of the District Council in 2024/25.

Civic Chair Councillor Peter Slack led the ceremonies, accompanied by consort Mrs Tracey Hancock, Council Leaders and ward councillors, as trees were planted in Ashbourne Park, Bakewell's Riverside Gardens, Darley Dale's Tippin play area, Matlock's Hall Leys Park and Wirksworth's Fanny Shaw's playing fields.

Taking part in the planting ceremony in Darley Dale was David Fearn, the last surviving member of the original Council, who went on to serve as Council Leader and represented his Darley Dale ward for a total of 42 consecutive years until his retirement from the Council in 2015.

West Derbyshire District Council, renamed Derbyshire Dales District Council in January 1987, replaced the various urban and rural district councils locally through the Local Government Act of 1972, which reduced the number of councils in England and Wales from 1,245 to 412.

The first district councillors were elected in 1973, serving as a “shadow” authority for 10 months until the handover date of 1 April 1974.

Council Leader, Councillor Steve Flitter, who took part in three of the ceremonies, said, "As someone who has been proud to serve on this council for the past 40 years, these small ceremonies were an opportunity to reflect on many significant achievements down the years in those five towns and surrounding villages.

"It was great to welcome David Fearn to the Darley Dale event. We enjoyed his recollections of his time on the authority at the 50th anniversary full council meeting last year.

"The anniversary trees were chosen to suit the environmental conditions of each space and their growing habits, to ensure they enhance the surrounding landscape for many years to come."

The trees are sponsored by Broad Oak, the contractor working on the District Council's Home Upgrade Grant project, delivering retrofit energy efficiency measures such as solar panels, insulation and smart heating controls and low carbon heating, including air source heat pumps to off-gas properties in the Derbyshire Dales.

bottom of page