Report by Local Democracy Reporter – Eddie Bisknell
A Derbyshire council is set to call on the East Midlands Mayor to scrap any potential tourism tax plans.
Derbyshire County Council’s Conservative opposition group is pushing for the authority to make this call and has received the backing of its administration, the Reform UK group.
Claire Ward, Labour’s East Midlands Mayor, is to be given the power – via the Labour Government – to implement tourism taxes across the region, mooted at £1 or £2 extra per room, per night.
In December, Ms Ward said she would back the new tax, saying it would be barely noticeable to visitors and would allow significant investment in parking, bus services and public toilets.
Mayor Claire, in a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, has now accused Derbyshire’s Conservative and Reform groups of “playing politics”, saying that a consultation is already underway to introduce the new tax, with work to tie up the “final design”.
The Peak District National Park Authority has said it would support a nightly tourism charge, a move firmly rejected by its sister authority in the Lake District.
Derbyshire’s Conservative group believes “imposing a levy on overnight visitors risks deterring tourism, undermining local businesses and harming employment at a time when the hospitality and visitor sectors are already under significant economic pressure”.
Cllr Alex Dale, the group’s leader, wrote: “Adding a further levy risks undermining growth and employment in a sector that is currently performing strongly and delivering substantial economic benefit to Derbyshire.”
Ahead of this week’s debate, Cllr Alan Graves, Reform’s council leader, said: “Reform UK councillors have raised serious concerns over proposals to introduce a new tourism tax on visitors to the Peak District, warning that it would place an unfair burden on residents, families and local businesses at a time when many are already struggling with the cost of living.
“Reform has consistently opposed the introduction of new tourism taxes, arguing that they risk discouraging visitors while doing little to address the underlying challenges facing local services and infrastructure.
“The proposal closely mirrors a motion that Councillor Melandra Smith (Reform councillor for Buxton North & East) was going to bring, who undertook local engagement in Buxton to understand how residents and business owners felt about the idea.
“Feedback was clear: on balance, people felt that a tourism tax would simply be another cost that many cannot afford, hitting those on lower incomes rather than wealthier visitors.
“While there was recognition that the Peak District requires protection and sustainable management, there was strong opposition to the principle of charging people to access one of the country’s most valued natural landscapes.
“Reform’s position has always been clear: we oppose new tourism taxes. Asking people to pay simply to visit the Peak Park is wrong in principle and unfair in practice.
“Local residents and business owners told us plainly that this would be another tax that ordinary people end up paying — not those who can most afford it.
“As a member of the East Midlands Combined County Authority, I will be making the case directly to Mayor Claire that adding to the tax burden is not the answer.
“We should be supporting tourism, local jobs and family days out — not pricing people out of enjoying the countryside.
“Reform UK maintains that protecting the Peak District and supporting local communities should be achieved through better use of existing resources, improved efficiency and targeted investment — not by introducing new charges that risk reducing visitor numbers and harming the local economy.”
Derbyshire County Council is one of the four constituent councils which make up the combined authority, alongside Derby, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, with Ms Ward as the head.
Ms Ward said: “Devolution is about the East Midlands being able to capture the value of its own strengths so that we can reinvest into our people, places, and businesses. The proposed Overnight Visitor Levy does this for our visitor economy: ensuring that the value generated by people visiting our region can be invested straight back. This will help us attract more visitors whilst protecting the quality of life for our local communities.
“The details of the proposed levy are out for consultation, and I will work closely with partners in the region including councils, businesses, and the hospitality sector on the final design. This engagement has already started, with two events held in the last week. So we know from stakeholders that there is significant work to be done before it can be introduced.
“Councillors across the region, including from Reform and the Conservatives, tell me they want more investment to support our visitor economy – and I agree with them. This is a way we can do it, at no cost to our residents, and I suggest they engage in that rather than playing politics.”
Statistics from the Peak Park detail that the area attracts between 13 million and 26 million people per year.
It says just over half of all visitors stay overnight, with staying visitors spending £74.95 average per day, while daytrippers spend £38.90 per day.
The Peak District and Derbyshire tourism board says there are now 33,000 jobs directly and indirectly supported by tourists, bringing a £3.58 billion boost to the economy.
