Stoney Middleton £3.5m tourism redevelopment approved
Plans for a £3.5m redevelopment of a rural business park in Derbyshire have been approved.
The existing building at Rock Mill Business Park in Stoney Middleton is to be demolished and rebuilt with a heritage centre and craft shop.
The Peak District Park Authority has also given the go ahead for tourist accommodation with underground parking at the site.
The owners said the project could create up to 30 jobs.
The authority said the application would normally be against planning policies because part of it involved new building work.
But John Herbert, chair of the planning committee, said: "Members carefully considered this application and decided it should be an exception to our normal policy.
"We also felt that the impact of the buildings on the landscape was reduced because of its location in a gorge," he said.
He added: "It was strongly supported by the local community, who see this as an important site, which acts as a gateway to the village and provides facilities for both the community and visitors."