We were Going for Gold at Cromford Mills recently at a special event where Planning & Design Practice LTD’s client Peak UK outlined their plans for the former Cromford garden centre at Carrwood Mills.
Working with ourselves as Planning Consultants, and James Boon Architects, the company is aiming to secure planning permission for the site, for a project that would bring textile manufacturing back to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage site with a new facility to design and manufacture water sports kits.
Peak UK have been manufacturing world-leading kayaking clothing and equipment for over 30 years. Introduced by Eilis Scott CEO of The Arkwright Society, the company’s Director Pete Astles, who founded the company when he was 19, also highlighted the work of the charitable side of the business Paddle Peak.
Pete Astles, Director of Peak UK has followed his life’s passion for kayaking from a young age and just let it take him on an amazing journey from working at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham and discovering that there was a gap in the market to clothe the kayakers in suitable gear, to producing the garments himself and being so successful that he needed premises. He built his Darley Dale site and his business now equips Olympians who have won many medals wearing his awarding wining gear. The majority of entrants in the last three Olympic Games wear this company’s products, and the event featured some of this year’s successful Olympians proudly displaying their medals.
But in order to grow further he needs to move premises and expand capacity.
You would think that was enough of an achievement, but Pete likes to give back to his community and has run many adventure weekends giving kids the chance to try something many may not ordinarily get the opportunity to do. So, the charity part of his business, Paddle Peak will benefit from a new location, with the canal side part of the former garden centre site will feature new facilities to provide kayaking opportunities to inspire and enable local youngsters, as well as have greater access to nature and the outdoors.
Pete had his eye on a parcel of land, the former Cromford Garden Centre, close to his home which he knew would be perfect, but he needed to convince the owners to sell it to him. If you are local to the Cromford area of Derbyshire you may remember visiting Cromford Garden Centre, which has the Cromford Canal to its western edge, as part of your day out to the area. Alas for the last decade or so it has been neglected, becoming overgrown and unattractive, unsafe and an environmental hazard. Pete was eventually able to purchase it and is now poised for his next chapter at Carrwood Mills.
A large brownfield site within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site is in planning terms quite difficult to navigate. But for Pete Astles this was not a barrier he was going to let stop his ambitions for Carrwood Mills. Employing James Boon as his conservation architect, James who is based in Cromford has worked on many heritage related projects and has an appreciation and understanding of this sensitive part of the county. James in turn reached out to us here at Planning & Design Practice to assess the heritage impacts of the design, produce the Heritage Impact Assessments and to assist the initial liaison with the council and stakeholders.
James’s design was well received at the recent public consultation for the project held at Cromford Mills. The event was a chance for Pete, James and Planning & Design Practice to showcase the proposal as well as a way for Pete to tell his remarkable story. Planning & Design Practice were able to articulate the various heritage sensitivities that have shaped the design along with the planning aspects of highways, BNG and the SSI status of the canal bank.
An inspiring evening, and an interesting project. Follow our social media and sign up for Monthly Newsletter for updates on this project, as well as the latest architectural and planning news.
“Going for Gold” at Carrwood Mills
