Andrew Bingham

Since being elected Bingham has been involved with the campaign for a bypass of the village of Tintwistle in his constituency (commonly known as the A57/A628 bypass, or the Mottram–Tintwistle Bypass). He met campaigners for the bypass,[17] raised the issue at PMQs,[18] held a parliamentary debate about the bypass,[19][20] and secured a visit by the Transport Minister, Norman Baker.[21][22]

Since the Minister's visit, Bingham has organised a number of meetings with a group of key stakeholders to find a way forward,[23] as well as continuing to raise the issue of the bypass with Ministers in the House of Commons.[24]

In May 2011, Derbyshire County NHS announced a review of the future of Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton. Bingham spoke out in support of the birth centre[25] and joined the campaign to save it.[26] Amongst other things,[27] Bingham raised the issue at PMQs[28][29] and organised an action day across the constituency in conjunction with the National Childbirth Trust.[30][31]

Despite this, members of the NHS Derby City and NHS Derbyshire County cluster voted unanimously to close Corbar,[32][33] a decision which Bingham described as 'misinformed, misguided and wrong'.[34]

In the summer of 2012, East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) announced plans to close the ambulance stations in Buxton and New Mills and replace them with a central hub in Chesterfield. Bingham met with EMAS to put his concerns to them and to state the case for an extra hub in the High Peak.[35] A vocal opponent of the EMAS proposals,[36] Bingham consistently warned about the length of the journey from the proposed central hub in Chesterfield,[37] saying he had 'grave concerns' that the plans would put lives at risk.[38] He also secured a short debate about the EMAS proposals in the House of Commons chamber,[39] during which he re-stated his opposition to the plans.[40][41]

In March 2013, EMAS announced that they had agreed to retain an ambulance station in the High Peak,[42] a decision which Bingham cautiously welcomed.[43]

Bingham has also campaigned for better access to broadband in rural parts of his constituency, which he has said would benefit small businesses and the rural economy.[44] He has spoken in various debates on the issue in the House of Commons,[45] and in the course of one of them said that he regards broadband as the 'fourth utility' "as it is vital that businesses have it".[46]

Before his defeat in 2017, Bingham had been working on his idea for a new hospital for Buxton on the site of the old bottling plant for Buxton Water, rendered derelict when Nestlé opened a new plant outside the centre of the town. Negotiations between Bingham, Nestlé and the various key stakeholders in the Health Service had begun four years earlier and had stalled at one point but the successful purchase of the land was completed at the end of 2017.