ELVASTON CASTLE

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Derbyshire County Council are attempting to swindle the general public even further regarding Elvaston Castle and Country Park. The weekend of 11th and 12th of September, saw The Sealed Knot Society recreate the events known popularly as the 'Siege of Elvaston', which occurred in the English Civil War, at the Castle. Derbyshire County Council, no doubt mindful of the recent massive rise of public support for The Friends of Elvaston (FOE), with their petition and major public awareness campaign,

have mounted massive banners at the main entrance to the park, declaring: 'Elvaston Castle and Country Park, Not For Sale.' There are also flyers being handed out with the same heading, and the following inane wording: "Derbyshire County Council has no plans to sell Elvaston Castle and the Country Park."

Many of you will know that the county council has been looking for a partner to provide much needed investment to restore our castle and historic core gardens. To make sure you can continue to visit our popular venue, we have agreed a set of key conditions with potential partners. They know that the castle, historic core gardens and country park are not for sale and that the council:

a. Will keep ownership but will consider leasing part or whole of the estate.
b. Insists on public access to the country park.
c. Requires major investment in the historic core gardens and continued public access.

Like you, we are keen to see the castle and estate restored to it's former glory. We want you, your family and friends to enjoy this much loved facility for many years to come. Proposals from potential partners will be considered by the council's cabinet in October 2004 and by the full council the following month. This is not only a cynical con trick and a blatant lie, but they have also wasted even more taxpayer's money in producing such a two-faced denial. All the banners, fliers, and no doubt newspaper insertions will be paid for by guess who? That's right, us!

The message is simple - don't be conned! The County Council is looking to off-load the whole estate whenever they think that they can get away with it. They think that the difference in the wording, semantics of the most feeble and transparent kind, will fool the public. The vile and insulting treatment handed out to the general public by the county council is contemptible. There is no difference as far as the community is concerned, between a sale and a 99 year lease, all of us who enjoy it now will be long gone before it ever comes up for renewal, which would, of course, go through on the nod for another 99 years and so on.

Where the council states that they INSIST on public access to the country park, they mean the parts that they can't fence off because they have been used as public rights of way for at least twenty years and that because of this, a legal precedent has been set, giving the public the right of access anyway. This has been one of the major stumbling blocks for private developers because they don't want the general public (who at present own the estate), anywhere near the place.

Where the council states that it requires major investment in the historic core gardens, English Heritage and the National Lottery fund have already pledged £8 million for the gardens to be restored but won't hand over any money until the situation has been resolved. This means that the county council, by their obstinate and highly immoral standpoint in attempting to get rid of the estate, are actually holding up the restoration work which could be started straight away. The council should agree that their attempts go against what people want, and make a start on reinstating the estate to the people who have already bought it lock, stock and barrel, namely, YOU, the general public!

Let the County Council know that you haven't been fooled by their lies! Tell them that you don't want YOUR property to be sold off, OR leased out to anyone! All we want is for the people's castle and park to be returned to the people. It isn't rocket science, or is it? Excalibur

Elvaston Castle and Country Park is not for sale, public access is not and has never been under threat and there will be no entry fee to walk in the park.

If the county council approves the proposal by Highgate Sanctuary, public access is guaranteed throughout the park. Their plans are to:

1) Retain free public access throughout the park.

2) Create a top-class hotel in the castle building.

3) Build an 18-hole golf course on land not currently open to the public.

4) Transform the stables into a craft centre and café.

5) Support a lottery funding bid to restore the gardens.

To clear up the rest of the inaccuracies: Derbyshire County Council paid £128,000 for the estate in 1969 from Needler Developments Ltd to prevent any loss of access; it was not "given to the people by Parliament"; and Derbyshire County Council's council tax payers have had to foot the ever-increasing bill to maintain the estate ever since.

As a Derby city councillor, perhaps Mr Leeming's time would be better spent at looking at ways in which he and his council can work with us to secure the future of the estate. Disappointingly, he prefers to jump on the bandwagon and peddle misinformation to anyone who will listen. Councillor Bob Janes, Cabinet Member for Community Services

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