Derbyshire villagers in £300k bid to buy Peak District land

If successful the villagers are planning to plant trees on the field in Foolow

Villagers are trying to raise £300,000 to buy land from the Peak District National Park.

The authority in charge of the national park had previously planned to use the fields at Brosterfield in Foolow as a caravan site.

Campaigners were worried that would create extra traffic so they are trying to buy it to plant thousands of trees.

Now park bosses have agreed to sell them the land if they can raise the money by November.

The Peak District National Park Authority said if this does not happen the land will be sold on the open market.

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The agreement stipulates villagers must come up with a "robust business plan" to be assessed by the authority's officers.

Campaigners will need to provide evidence of the funds available to buy the land by 1 November.

John Fallows, a village resident who has campaigned to buy the land, says they want to plant between 5,000 and 7,000 trees to give something to future generations.

He said reaching an agreement with the Peak District's authority was "fantastic" and gives them the chance to raise the money.

"We're looking to leave a legacy - not [for] decades, but 200 or 300 years' time," he said.

"The whole community - the whole village, and others in outlying villages - are behind the project."