Anglers are today celebrating the good news that fishing is to return to the popular Wingerworth Lido near Chesterfield, following a lengthy campaign that made national headlines.
On Monday (Dec 8), councillors on the North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC) Environment Scrutiny Committee agreed to proposals from the Angling Trust to lift the controversial fishing ban. The committee’s recommendation to the council Cabinet is that fishing is to resume in the interim while reviews are concluded and be part of the longer-term plans for the Lido. This follows a recent public consultation which saw a staggering 70% of respondents vote in favour of reinstating fishing on the Lido. The final decision will now be taken by the Council’s Cabinet on January 15, or earlier if a special meeting is called. It is expected to be a formality to approve the recommendation.
The Angling Trust has been working closely with Clay Cross Angling Association (CCAA), which has cared for the water for over 25 years prior to the termination of its lease in January 2025. The treatment of the club prompted a national outcry — including a petition organised by local angler James Duffy, and widespread lobbying of councillors.
Jamie Cook, Angling Trust CEO, commented:
“Throughout this process the sole focus of the Angling Trust has been to support Clay Cross Angling Association and to open a dialogue with NEDDC to explore options for the return of managed angling to Wingerworth Lido. We systematically countered the anti-angling claims with evidence and cold, hard facts. We also provided the Council with examples of successful partnerships with wildlife trusts and angling on designated nature reserves to show that their wider biodiversity objectives for Wingerworth Lido are in no way incompatible with sensibly managed recreational fishing. We are, of course, absolutely delighted that common sense has prevailed and that once again local people can enjoy fishing at Wingerworth.”
Andrew Parkin, from the Clay Cross Angling Association, said:
“This is fantastic news which will put a smile on the face of every angler in Derbyshire. The support from the Angling Trust and the angling community has been absolutely fantastic and I can’t thank them enough. The public consultation results also showed just how much backing the club had from local people, and it’s great that the councillors have finally listened and done the right thing.
“For over 25 years our members have put their heart and soul into caring for Wingerworth Lido, and it was devastating when the decision was made to terminate our lease without good reason. We are now looking forward as a club to putting all this behind us and working in partnership with NEDDC and the local community to make Wingerworth Lido a place for everyone to enjoy.”
Last week, the Angling Trust’s Head of Policy, Martin Salter, wrote to all members of the Environment Scrutiny Committee, debunking false claims made by opponents of angling in the consultation and urging councillors to reinstate the CCAA lease.
Mr Salter said:
“Unfortunately, the consultation saw the repetition of a series of false and inaccurate claims about the impact of angling on the Lido, so we felt obliged to put the record straight. These ranged from accusing the angling club of stocking the Lido with pike, when in fact they had removed a proportion of them, to claiming they destroyed the reedbeds, when in reality this was caused by the over-large Canada goose population eating the green shoots. We are pleased that the Council has agreed that the way forward for Wingerworth Lido is to create a place for anglers and non-anglers alike to enjoy nature.”
To see the Angling Trust’s last representation to the Council: https://anglingtrust.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Wingerworth-Council-rep-021225.pdf
