PEAK (Birchall Estate)
Find out more at: http://www.peakliaison.co.uk/
PEAK proposes a mixed use multi brand tourism destination. Similar to the internationally successful ski village model, PEAK’s masterplan includes a zero carbon carless mobility system offering day passes to visit the national park. 10% of visitors to the resort are expected to use the PEAK Express service, 90% of visitors are forecast to stay on site and engage in the many activities on the 300 acre PEAK estate as well as locally in Chesterfield. The PEAK Express will run to Chesterfield Station and Chesterfield Market Square.
Located on the eastern boundary of the 550 square mile Peak District National Park with its 1,600 miles of trails, PEAK offers access to an enormous range of nature, culture, heritage and adventure attractions.
PEAK is an all year leisure, education, wellness and entertainment destination set on 300 acres of reclaimed opencast land.
PEAK is a phased development, with Phase 1 costing in the region of £200m and representing approximately one third of the total planning permission.
Phase 1 Attractions and facilities include:
- PEAK Express Transport Hub
- 165 room hotel
- The Gateway @PEAK
- Extensive Landscaping and rewilding, on site Nature Trails and experiential & sensory gardens
- Multi discipline cycling school with trails connected to 1,000 of miles of Public Rights of Way.
Birchall Properties has achieved reserved matters planning approval and outline planning permission for up to 2,000 hotel rooms and 250 lodges. The overnight and short stay accommodation will be delivered in phases and in a range of formats, from 5 star hilltop hotel with lodges, to village centre hotels with hostel accommodation.
Planning consents have been formally ‘implemented’ and safeguarded for the future. Pre-commencement planning conditions are being discharged for each development plot within the Masterplan. PEAK is forecast to create over 2,000 FTE new jobs.
Access & Connectivity
£2.85 million of funding from Sheffield City Region’s Infrastructure Fund (SCRIF) was awarded to the development in 2016. Work commenced in 2017 to connect the estate to the public highway, the public rights of way network and the regulated utilities. The A61 access and the PROW connectivity were completed and adopted by Derbyshire County Council in October 2017. The estate boundary is in part defined by approximately 3 mile of deer fence.
the Gateway @PEAK
Specialist destination developer Milligan has formed a joint venture with Birchall Properties. Working together with Chesterfield Borough Council, the Peak District National Park Authority and the University of Derby the joint venture will develop the UK’s first fully serviced national park gateway.
Revised Phase 1 planning applications have now been submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council for the development, which will create around 1,000 jobs across these sectors with a commitment to education and green skills delivered via an onsite skills academy.
The Gateway @PEAK will be both a destination in its own right, and a basecamp for those visiting the National Park. With its ‘Journey to Zero’ transport hub the Gateway provides the facility for visitors to travel by hydrogen or electric vehicle to access thousands of National Park attractions.
Stanton Williams were recently appointed to design the Gateway at PEAK. Strategic agreements have been entered into, which will be announced soon. These include:
- Heads of terms with national retail brands to become anchor tenants for the commercial village element of the Gateway.
- An agreement with a hotel operator to bring a flagship concept to Gateway and operate the 165-room hotel.
- Heads of terms with vehicle and transport partners to operate the zero-carbon travel hub.
- Agreements with regional education providers to develop education and learning opportunities at the Gateway.
- Heads of terms with a leading UK Waste Management partner to deliver waste management solutions and enable an innovative circular economy with a focus on waste reduction and recycling.
Milligan is looking to create partnerships with brands that align with the Gateway @PEAK’s values and vision, to integrate products, experiences and expertise into the delivery of a world-class visitor experience.
Facilitation works and ground investigations are underway. The Gateway @PEAK will cost in the region of £100m.
