Hayfield is the primary western access point to
the North Western Peak District and the Kinder Plateau.

The Village of Hayfield is and always has been the Gateway to Kinder

The Pennine Bridleway runs through the centre of the site and will be a major source of visitor-days to the Parish. The present site is occupied by Derbyshire Countryside Service, a bus terminal, a temporary bicycle hire centre, public toilets, a recycling area and a parking area.

The aim of this project is to expand the countryside service facilities, provide a base for the Kinder Mountain Rescue and to integrate a number of community facilities within the footprint of the site. The primary purpose of these facilities is to aid the economic and social regeneration of the community in a sustainable way

To achieve this, the proposal is to demolish existing facilities and provide the following:-

Community amenities

Countryside and Environmental Interpretation Centre.

Visitor Centre to encourage safe, healthy and environmentally sound use of the countryside.

Pennine Bridleway facility (the newly created Pennine Bridleway crosses the site)

Tourist facility to promote the area.

Sports and Life-long Learning facilities.

Enterprise facilities:

It will be the operational centre for the various agencies that work in the area and will house a community enterprise facility to provide enterprise units and support services to aid the economic regeneration of the area.

Mountain Rescue Services.

Transport and public services:

The site is the transport interchange for the Community and houses the only public & disabled access toilet facilities within the area

(It should be noted that the Development Trust has been awarded Transport Feasibility Study funding and is working in conjunction with the local Transport Partnership to encourage both locals and visitors to the area to use public transport.)

Car parking for visitors to the area and site.

Accommodation:

It will also provide affordable accommodation units for young families and key workers in the area.

By taking this integrated approach, the proposals will address many of the problems that both the existing site and the Parish suffers from. It will also create an income stream to make the project sustainable and contribute to the local economy.

The Proposed Facility should include:

Amenities

Improved public toilets including shower and changing facilities for the growing number of outdoor events: Fell Racers, Mountain Bikers, Runners and Horse riders etc;

Modern transport interchange including Waiting Room;

Security/Police office CCTV centre for site and Village!

Parking:
An increase in Car spaces to at least 120 public and 20 secure with provision for Trailer/Horse box, overnight parking for commercial vehicles

Bus / Coach accommodate 3

DCC Countryside Service & Mountain Rescue accommodation and garaging for their vehicles and equipment.

Environmental Interpretation and Heritage Centre

A: Low Land areas of the Parish including the Trail and adjacent Woodland.

B: Built environment – Hayfield Village Little Hayfield & Birch Vale etc Parish Archive.

C: Moorland & Kinder Massif.

A centre that promotes the safe, educative and healthy use of the surrounding countryside, the use of low level areas and Village by DCC & HPBC and disability and rehabilitation projects, “Walking for Health” and environmental education;

The high ground areas of the parish, with the Peak Park and Mountain Rescue service taking the lead in these issues.

Tourist Centre

The Tourist Centre will also be promoting local businesses associated with the hospitality industry, including local B&B.

Enterprise Units

Suitable for High-Tech / ICT businesses, Office / Studio applications; we have even had a serious enquiry from a local Medical Practice.

They will be equipped with broadband access etc..

With the Pennine Bridleway coming through the site in addition to the conventional cycle hire, repair and farrier services as well as an open sided hut for grooming / repairs , requests have been received for shower facilities which could be incorporated in main building and cycle/horse wash down area.

Shared Bureau facilities including board room /meeting room etc and the Digital Parish Broad Band system will act as a support facility for local business working from home, and community groups.

The whole facility will have wireless broad band access 2MB +.

It will house the Virtual Parish environment project Presentation and development facility which will be producing the Environmental and Community Historical Archive - we are working in partnership with the Peak Park and community groups on this project .

Multipurpose Hall

To offer educational, youth sport and community facilities, fully equipped with video projection etc Exhibition space both inside and out.

(Some people say we have enough 'halls'; they have obviously never tried to book one! The Memorial Hall is licensed for 100 and the School for 160 we lost the largest Hall in the community when the 'Relief Rd' was built, since then there have been another 180 houses built in the village!

A village of the size of Hayfield should have one that will accommodate at least 10% of its population)

Life Long Learning

Facility to enable people to access educational resources, in particular women who are not able to travel out of the area due to family responsibilities. Computing and Languages have come top of the list.

Accommodation

It is proposed to have affordable accommodation units over; the scope and extent is still under discussion. However, if they are included they will pay for the development so allowing minimum or even no cost to rates, and will satisfy a local need for accommodation for young couples and key workers.

If the accommodation is not provided we will have to seek funding for the project from other sources and it will limit the effective ‘policing’, security and environmental efficiency of the site.

Sporting Facilities

It will be a centre for the many countryside related sporting activities which have been and are developing in the area, such as Fell Running, Mountain Biking, and Climbing. In addition, indoor sports facilities could be developed in the Hall such as racquet sports or others in conjunction with the KMRT, e.g: Climbing Wall.

The new Pennine Bridleway will pass through the site and require facilities for mountain bikers cyclists and Horse riders as well as walkers. This will in effect be a less extreme route for walkers than the high level Pennine Way which also runs through the Parish.

Facilities for Young People and the Senior members of our community

In addition to the sporting opportunities:

The facility can also be used to inspire the youth of the village who are not too interested in sporting activities, by providing Recording and Production facilities, as well as the use of the Digital Parish Wireless Network to Broadcast programme material to the community i.e. Hayfields own Digital Radio or even TV.

Arts and Crafts.

Provide workshop facilities and be a show case for the areas traditional Folk activities and host Music and other arts events.

Environmental

The Building and the site will be an exemplar of Environmentally Friendly construction, incorporating as many features as possible, including recycling schemes, sources of alternative energy and carbon offsetting. We hope that other examples will be showcased on the site as part of our educational programme.

Objective

The objective is to give the community a facility accessible to all, which will create employment help in the economic regeneration of the Parish, be an Education, Tourist and Leisure activities resource for the area, bringing together the many agencies that operate in the area.

It will allow the community to develop a High-Tech, environmentally friendly economy and will be self sustaining. As the trust is a community enterprise charity, the income from enterprise units and other activities will be used to maintain and develop the facility and the local community.

The recently completed feasibility study commissioned by Hayfield Development Trust has shown how all the above improvements can be financed and funding sources located.

The study was adopted by Hayfield Parish Council and presented to the community as part of the Hayfield Parish Action Plan by Hayfield Parish Council final draft was present to the Community in October 2004 and copies sent to High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, and synopsis sent to all DCC and local Councilors, a copy is available in the reference section of Hayfield Public Library.