Plan for £130m county hall revamp set for approval

Plans to convert Derbyshire County Council's headquarters into a hotel and new homes are set to get the go-ahead.

Derbyshire Dales District Council's planning committee has been recommended to approve plans from Derbyshire County Council to revamp County Hall in Matlock - otherwise known as Smedley's Hydro - when it meets on Tuesday.

According to the county council, the proposed £130m redevelopment would also include the restoration of the Winter Gardens.

The Reform UK-run authority said it would move away from the "outdated accommodation" to a new civic office, providing it with modern offices and lower running costs.

A report prepared by planning officers suggests the hotel could have more than 100 bedrooms, and the existing council chamber could become a conference space.

The report states the renovation of the Winter Gardens would bring the space back to a functioning venue, but it required "significant remedial works" as it has "suffered considerably" from damp and rot to timber work.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said buildings connected by wooden bridges across Smedley Street would be converted into 45 flats under plans set in motion by the previous Conservative administration.

It added 50 new-build houses would be constructed on the current lower staff car park, and a replacement council headquarters would be built on the current business centre site.

The LDRS said developers and private companies would be funding the schemes, but the council had budgeted in 2025 to spend £20m over three years on the overall project.

The county council said the project was forecasted to add £66m to the economy in Matlock and £145m across Derbyshire.

In relation to the hotel conversion, a report from Derbyshire Dales District Council said: "The proposals would deliver a number of benefits, namely the reuse and conversion of a listed building which will have economic, social and environmental benefits."

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