Councillors approve plans for temporarily Traveller site on a depot next to Derbyshire cemetery - despite concerns over disruption to grieving families

At a Derbyshire Dales District Council meeting this month, members approved plans to move a homeless Traveller family currently staying on the authority’s Clifton Road car park site in Ashbourne to its own Watery Lane depot.

This would see the family, to which the council has had a legal obligation to permanently accommodate for more than a decade, directed to a plot opposite a tip and neighbouring a cemetery, allotments and close to sewage works.

Meanwhile, the meeting was told that Derbyshire County Council continued under new leadership not to support the release of land approved for Traveller pitches in Watery Lane (in 2015), due to the potential future bypass.

However, an email from county council chairman Nick Adams, who represents Dovedale and Ashbourne North, said the use of a derelict part of the opposite tip would be supported as a temporary measure.

The family had stayed there for a year from November 2024 until November 2025.

Graham Elliott, member of the Ashbourne Allotment Association, said the group formally opposed the depot plans, saying it appeared to be a “desperate attempt to provide a site at any cost”.

He claimed the authority was “behaving like a dictatorship”, with reputational and legal consequences.

The council continues to retain earmarked plans to turn sites at Matlock Bath railway station and on a field next to cemetery in Middleton-by-Wirksworth, into temporary sites.

Mark Dinsdale, a Middleton-by-Wirksworth resident, said there was “disappointment, disbelief and dismay” in the village at those plans, saying it was being “overlooked and seen as a soft touch”.

Councillor Denise Brown, a member of Ashbourne Town Council, said the authority opposed the planned temporary site and said it was “highly inappropriate” to the need for a respectful and quiet environment for people mourning and visiting graves.

Concerns were also raised about a legal covenant from Nestle on the proposed depot site which precludes any other use, with talks to be held over whether this would be enforced by the firm.

Meanwhile, the plot does not have planning permission, a process which would now be started with the depot site being earmarked by the council.

Lucy Mellors, a Middleton resident, said the current family using the proposed land for a smallholding would be evicted to make way for a further family who do not want to move there.

John Youatt said the only “real” way forward was to re-pursue the Woodyard site on the A6 in Homesford, near Cromford, which has planning permission for eight Traveller pitches.

He said this would be an alternative to the “ogoing 20 year waste of resources by pursuing almost eternally temporary measures”.

Ashbourne resident Anne Smith said the town had been “plagued” by “so-called Travellers” for 20-30 years.

She said: “The district council have failed time and time again to find a permanent site and they have allowed these Travellers to ride roughshod over Ashbourne and you are no further forward.”

Ms Smith said residents were “sick to death” of being told about the council’s legal duty to the homeless family and about discrimination laws.

Ashley Watts, the council’s director of community and environmental services, said the authority would need to spend £15,000 leasing additional space elsewhere to make space for the Traveller family at its own depot.

He said: “We are not under any illusions that there won’t be challenges making this site safe and secure.”

Mr Watts said officers would prefer to completely vacate the site, which would lead to a need for further replacement space elsewhere.

Meanwhile, he said it would take weeks to make the depot site fit for its new use, with works required that it would have to contract out privately.

Paul Wilson, the council’s chief executive, said the Watery Lane site approved in 2015 was the only current potential permanent site being “actively pursued”.

The email from Nick Adams, read out by Cllr Steve Wain, said: “The Travellers returning to their previous location at the entrance to HWRC (tip) could be a good temporary solution.”

Cllr Robert Archer said: “We need an urgent short-term solution, all other options are going to take time. We have to find that alternative

“This isn’t a brilliant option, it is the least worst option, I wouldn’t support it for a permanent site, with it being next to the cemetery and allotments, I have sleepless nights over this.

“We can’t keep taking options off the table while this family remain our legal responsibility

“We need to get our flipping fingers out and find a permanent site so this does not become a permanent site.”

A move to take the currently endorsed temporary sites in Matlock Bath and Middleton off the table was lost by five votes for to six against, with two abstentions.

Cllr Marilyn Franks said the depot site was “tucked away” and the family had not caused “too many problems” when staying on the derelict tip plot.

She said: “We need to move them and we need to move them quickly.”

Cllr Matt Buckler said he was “very disappointed” the authority had still not found a permanent site after his six years on the council, despite it continuing to be a priority.

The new temporary site on the depot was approved by nine votes for and four against.