High Peak Borough Council

High Peak Borough Council is the local authority for High Peak, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Derbyshire, England. The administrative offices of High Peak Borough Council are split between sites in the towns of Buxton and Glossop. Full council meetings are usually held at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton. The council is elected every four years. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2023.

High Peak Borough Council
Type
Type	Non-metropolitan district
Leadership
Mayor	Dom Elliott-Starkey, Conservative since 8 May 2025[1]
Leader	Anthony McKeown, Labour since 15 May 2019
Chief Executive	Andrew Stokes since September 2020[2]
Structure
Seats	43 councillors
Political groups	Administration (29)   Labour (29) Other parties (14)   Conservative (9)   Green (2)   Liberal Democrats (1)   Reform UK (1)   Independent (1)
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	4 May 2023
Next election	6 May 2027
Meeting place
Pavilion Gardens, St John's Road, Buxton, SK17 6BE
Website
www.highpeak.gov.uk

History

High Peak Borough Council was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new council replaced the councils of six former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:^[3]

• Buxton Municipal Borough
• Chapel-en-le-Frith Rural District,
• Glossop Municipal Borough
• New Mills Urban District
• Tintwistle Rural District (which had been in the administrative county of Cheshire)
• Whaley Bridge Urban District

The new district was named "High Peak" after the medieval hundred of High Peak, which had covered much of the area.^[4] The district was granted borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor.^[5]

In February 2008, the council formed a strategic alliance with the neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to share a number of services and staff as a way of reducing costs, including a shared chief executive and senior management team.^[6][7]

Governance

High Peak Borough Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Derbyshire County Council.^[8] Much of the borough is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government. The towns of Buxton and Glossop are unparished areas, with High Peak Borough Council performing functions in those towns that would otherwise be the responsibility of parish councils.^[9]

Large parts of the borough are within the Peak District National Park. In those areas, town planning is the responsibility of the Peak District National Park Authority.^[10] The borough council appoints two of its councillors to serve on the 30-person National Park Authority.^[11]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2023 election.^[12]

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:^[13][14]

Party in control		Years
	No overall control	1974–1976
	Conservative	1976–1979
	No overall control	1979–1995
	Labour	1995–2003
	No overall control	2003–2007
	Conservative	2007–2011
	No overall control	2011–2015
	Conservative	2015–2019
	Labour	2019–2022
	No overall control	2022–2023
	Labour	2023–present

Leadership

The role of Mayor of High Peak is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2003 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
David Lomax[15]		Liberal Democrats	2003	2007
John Faulkner[16]		Conservative	May 2007	13 May 2008
Tony Ashton[17]		Conservative	2008	May 2011
Caitlin Bisknell[18][19]		Labour	May 2011	May 2015
Tony Ashton[20][21]		Conservative	19 May 2015	May 2019
Anthony McKeown[22]		Labour	15 May 2019

Composition

Following the 2023 election,^[23] and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:^[24]

Party		Councillors
	Labour	29
	Conservative	9
	Green	2
	Liberal Democrats	1
	Reform UK	1
	Independent	1
Total		43

The next election is due in 2027.^[24]

Premises

Full council meetings are generally held at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton.^[25] The council's office functions are split between Buxton Town Hall and the Municipal Buildings in Glossop, both buildings having been inherited from the council's predecessor authorities.^[26]

The council also inherited offices at Chinley from Chapel-en-le-Frith Rural District Council. The Chinley complex had been built in 1902 as an isolation hospital and had been bought by the rural district council in 1953 and converted to become its offices.^[27][28] High Peak Borough Council used the Chinley buildings as its main offices and meeting place with the other buildings serving as additional offices until 2010, when the Chinley site was closed and subsequently sold as a cost-saving measure.^[29]

• 
  Buxton Town Hall
• 
  Municipal Buildings, Glossop
• 
  Former council offices at Chinley, closed 2010

Mayor of High Peak

The mayor presides at meetings of the council and acts as first citizen of the borough.^[30] The role is usually held by a different councillor each year. They are expected to be politically impartial during their term of office as mayor, although they do get an additional casting vote in the event of a tie.^[31] Former mayors include:^[32]

• 2010–11: Graham Oakley
• 2011–12: David Lomax
• 2012–13: Pat Jenner
• 2013–14: Tony Kemp
• 2014–15: Alan Barrow
• 2015–16: Stuart Young
• 2016–17: George Wharmby
• 2017–18: Matt Stone
• 2018–19: Linda Grooby
• 2019–21: Ed Kelly^[a]
• 2021–22: Paul Hardy
• 2022–23: Ollie Cross
• 2023–24: Peter Inman^[33]
• 2024–25: Stewart Gardner

Elections

See also: High Peak Borough Council elections

Map of electoral wards in High Peak

Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 43 councillors elected from 28 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.^[34]

Arms

Coat of arms of High Peak Borough Council

Notes Granted 1976[35] Crest On a wreath Or and Vert a piece of Blue john stone Proper within a chevron Sable. Escutcheon Sable three piles Or on a base enarched Vert fimbrated Or a fountain. Supporters On either side a stag Or attired and unguled Sable gorged with a mural crown Vert and resting the interior hind leg on a piece of Blue John Stone Proper. Motto Consilio Semper Publico (Ever in the Public Interest) Badge A fountain within a triangle Sable.