An architect has been brought in to draw up plans for a 165 room resort hotel and leisure complex in the Derbyshire Peak District. Stanton Williams have been appointed as lead architects by Peak Gateway Properties for phase one of the £300 million investment on a 300 acre site near Chesterfield.
Scheduled to open in late 2026, it will include a hotel, food and drinks outlets and shops – with a zero-carbon transport service taking visitors to and from attractions in the Peak District National Park, without the need for their car. It is hoped the site will also make all of its own energy and process its own waste.
The Gateway, which would be phase one of the PEAK Gateway Resort, represents a £150 million investment and would support more than 1,000 jobs.
Landowner Birchall Properties has invested more than 35 years regenerating the 300-acre Birchall Estate, where the resort will go, following years of open-cast mining.
The next stage of planning consents will be submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council this autumn.
Stirling Prize winning architects Stanton Williams will be part of a team led by Milligan, a specialist destination and mixed-use real estate developer, which is working closely with partners including Chesterfield Borough Council, The University of Derby and the Peak District National Park Authority.
The team also includes landscape architects Gillespies, engineering consultants Cundall, and Inspire Design and Development focusing on drainage and transport, and project management specialists Turner & Townsend.
A spokesman for Milligan said: “The Gateway at PEAK will be an international standard tourist destination providing a basecamp and a gateway into the 550 square mile Peak District National Park.
“Like a ski resort the PEAK resort will be built around a carless mobility service, not in this case to mountains and skiing, but into the Peaks for biking and hiking, for nature, heritage, sport and culture.
“The commercial village will comprise of experiential retail, locally sourced dining and unique spaces for events, artisan craft and learning experiences.”
John Milligan, chief executive of Peak Gateway Properties and chairman of Milligan, said: “The travel hub is central to the Gateway’s proposition, allowing visitors to transition into electric or hydrogen vehicles for onward exploration of the Park, its stunning landscapes and thousands of activities and attractions.
“This is a way to expand access to the park and support more destinations in a low impact way.
Currently 85 per cent of visitors travel into the park by car which is not sustainable.
“Last year we ran the first trial for the travel hub alongside Toyota and other local partners. The technology operated on a 40 per cent regenerative energy basis which is fantastic.
“The trial stakeholders and users endorsed the urgent requirement for this sort of service – when it’s up and running we hope it will be an exemplar for other hubs around the park and for other National Parks in the UK to follow.”
Gavin Henderson, principal director at Stanton Williams, said: “The scheme embraces the principles of the circular economy and uses highly sustainable, durable materials including local stone and timber.
“As well as regenerating a former open-cast mine, it supports natural ecosystems through habitat protection and enhancement, while connecting people with nature and encouraging active and low-carbon travel to and within the Peak District.”
