Darley Dale Town Council - History

Further Expansion

A great expansion of Darley Dale has occurred since the Second World War with the advent of mass tourism, lead smelting in South Darley and the arrival of new light industrial and construction firms. Even more significant for the expansion of Darley Dale was Derbyshire County Council's decision to transfer its main administrative offices from Derby to Matlock in the 1950s. This move brought many new people to the area, both as employees of the County Council and those lured by the prospect of jobs in an attractive region. This resulted in the growth of service and other industries connected both directly and indirectly with the County Council. More recently, a number of hi-tech industries have established themselves in Darley Dale.

The mass availability of the car has made commuting to and from local centres of employment much easier and this, together with new sources of employment has increased the urbanisation of the area. The modern township is now one of the largest population centres in West Derbyshire and will soon come to exceed 6,000 inhabitants.

Administration

Until the mid-19th century, Darley was administered by local magistrates via the County Court District of Wirksworth. Over the years, the administration has been as follows:
Local Government Board (1861-94)
North and South Darley Urban District Councils (1894-1938)
Matlock Urban District Council (1938-1974)
Derbyshire Dales District Council (1974-present)
Derbyshire County Council (1898 - present)

Darley Dale Town Council was first formed as a parish council in 1980. Over the years local government reorganisation has redefined the boundaries of Darley Dale with the loss of the villages of Snitterton, Wensley, Northwood and Tinkersley.

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