Labour council faces legal battle over 'biodiversity' fishing ban

A Labour-run council is facing legal action after effectively outlawing fishing at a popular lake in Derbyshire. North East Derbyshire District Council said it would not renew a long-standing lease for fishing at Wingerworth Lido near Chesterfield in August. The move, which introduced fines of up to £2,500 for any breaches of the new rules, ended a license agreement with the Clay Cross Angling Association, a local club which had fished at the site for years.

The council said the removal of fishing rights at the spot was a "vital step" towards promoting the area as a "biodiversity hub" and "a safe space for wildlife to thrive". However, weeks after the ban came into effect, a legal challenge has been lodged by a resident and business owner, calling for a public consultation on the lake's future.

In a letter to the council seen by The Telegraph, Dominic Webb argued that angling at Wingerworth Lido improved the mental health of locals and accused the authority of providing insufficient evidence for the practice's environmental harm.

"The decision fails to demonstrate due regard to the impact that the angling ban will have on the need to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not," it read.

A supplementary letter, also viewed by the newspaper, saw Mr Webb allege that the council had relied on complaints against fishing at the spot which resulted in "no action" and insisted there was "irrefutable evidence that no harm occurred" to the environment as a result of the popular activity.

A Freedom of Information request reportedly supported these claims and showed three formal complaints between 2023 and 2025, alongside seven general concerns - none of which resulted in enforcement action.

The Countryside Alliance also criticised the lack of public consultation, warning that the local authority was "getting themselves into increasingly deep water".

The Alliance's external affairs director, Mo Metcalf-Fisher added: "Fishing should never have been banned at the Lido and there are serious questions about the way the decision was reached."

North East Derbyshire District Council has been contacted for comment.