Former Derbyshire village issues warning over possible High Peak merger with Manchester

Wheels are in motion from London to abolish two-tier governments such as High Peak Borough and Derbyshire County Council and replace them with a unitary council.

High Peak MP Jon Pearce has said High Peak merging with councils in Greater Manchester such as Tameside or Stockport was a "no brainer" rather than staying under Derbyshire rule.

However, Linda Taylor, a member of the Mosborough History Group, remembers still being a part of Derbyshire in her teens.

Now the 74-year-old says people in the High Peak should stand their ground before it is too late.

She said: “I was born in Derbyshire and I still regard myself as being from Derbyshire even though we are in Sheffield and classed as Yorkshire.

“I remember so many people being upset about this and people from Westfield School went down with parents and grandparents to protest in London.

Mosborough was part of the Eckington Parish although Eckington did not move neither did Killamarsh but Halfway and Beighton moved into Sheffield in 1967.

Linda said: “We were all worried that our lovely green fields of Mosborough village would be taken over and we were right.

“There used to be a lovely mix of shops on the main street through the village, and you didn’t have to go into town if you didn’t need to.

“Now the fields that were once part of the countryside around our village have been overdeveloped and there are houses and new estates everywhere.

“We knew the people of Sheffield were eyeing up our land and it has been built on and we not only lost our countryside but our identity too.

“There is nothing that can be done to reserve it now so people in the High Peak need to speak up before it’s too late.

“I know a merger with Manchester has been mentioned but if it is not what people want then they need to fight to stay in Derbyshire.”

A Facebook group called "Keep the High Peak in Derbyshire" has been formed by people objecting to any move to realign it with Greater Manchester.

Mr Pearce believes the High Peak should not remain part of Derbyshire but instead ‘be part of the Northern Powerhouse and all the opportunities that would bring local businesses and jobs.’

Nothing has been decided yet as to what will actually happen with the government proposals and High Peak may stay within the Derbyshire boundary.