ELVASTON CASTLE

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Derbyshire County Council could be forced to consult the public over its latest plans for Elvaston Castle. Campaigners fighting proposals to turn the historic building into a hotel and golf course say they plan to make a complaint about the council's handling of the scheme to the Local Government Ombudsman.

If successful, the authority could be ordered to carry out a county-wide public consultation exercise and would be required to take into account public opinion before going forward with any development proposals. The news comes just weeks after the council voted to appoint London firm Highgate Sanctuary as its preferred partner for the development of the castle and its grounds.

But the Friends of Elvaston Castle action group has argued that the authority did not canvass public opinion on this bid. The group's members claim the council has ignored the strength of public opinion against the development - including a petition containing 60,000 signatures collected by the Elvaston Castle Petition group which is also opposed to the plans.

Alexander Devlin, chairman of Friends of Elvaston, said that a council questionnaire, called Elvaston Castle Historic Gardens Restoration Proposals, produced in 1999, focused on the county council's intentions to restore the historic gardens but did not ask about private investment.

After that, the county council announced that it would invite proposals for private investment to cover the building's £3m repair bill and £500,000 annual costs, which the authority could no longer afford. Mr Devlin said, "Nowhere on that document was a question which entitled the council to state that it had the permission of the people to seek private investment."

But the council said another questionnaire, sent out in 2000, asked people about options - including leasing or selling the estate. A council spokeswoman said, "We carried out countywide consultation over the future of Elvaston Castle four years ago. 70% of the 2,100 respondents agreed the estate should be leased or sold to release cash for key services."

However, Mr Devlin has highlighted a statement from the county council in August 2002, in which it said that a plan for the estate would be prepared by early 2003 and the public would be consulted. He said, because there has been no full public consultation carried out on the Highgate Sanctuary bid, he felt he had no option bit to contact the Patricia Thomas, the local Government Ombudsman for Derbyshire.

The ombudsman would decide whether or not there had been maladministration and, if there had, whether it had caused injustice. If it is found there had been injustice, the ombudsman usually recommends a remedy for this, which, in this case, could mean a new full public consultation. In many cases, the ombudsman also recommends administrative changes to help avoid a repetition of the difficulty.
(Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

Dr Tanya Spilsbury managing director of property developer Highgate Sanctuary, said that there would be no charge to visit any part of the estate, including the restored historic core gardens, which would be managed by a charitable trust. Money raised from car park fees would pay for their maintenance.

Mrs Spilsbury said, "I'm convinced that what we're doing is right for the castle and gardens. It's good that people love it so much and it's useful to hear different opinions." Mrs Spilsbury's financial gain would come from the 150-bedroom hotel, to be used as a wedding venue and conference facility. A series of new, inter-connected buildings next to the courtyard behind the castle would house a gym, swimming pool, conference facilities and extra accommodation.

A golf course would be built on agricultural fields which form part of the estate, between the castle and the Alvaston bypass, but could include part of a nature reserve, which is also part of the estate. But under the terms of the lease and lottery funding, public access to the historic core gardens, lake and woodland is protected. The cricket ground and the showground would also remain as they are.

Protest groups, who do not want the estate to be run by a private company, have called for renewed consultation on the future plans, as they fear that public access could be restricted when it opens as a hotel and golf course. More than 65,000 people signed a petition in opposition to the plans. But Mrs Spilsbury said she hoped that, as people discovered more about her plans, they would start to support her. She said, "I know there has been a lot of frustration because of lack of information but I believe that when that information comes out, more and more people will see that this is the best option. It has been thought through very carefully and the vision of it restored and working for the benefit of everyone drives me on."

But Graham Mansey, secretary of the Friends of Elvaston action group, said, "Tanya Spilsbury talks about her 'vision' for the future of Elvaston Castle Country Park, what about the people's vision? The estate already belongs to the people - it has been bought with their money. In Derbyshire County Council's own public consultation five years ago, more than 78% voted for public ownership and over 90% wanted the castle restored. More than 65,000 people have signed a petition against Tanya Spilsbury's vision. Why is this being ignored? A nature reserve, one of five local nature reserves in the county, together with a 90-hectare county wildlife site, is to have a golf course built across it, why? Tanya Spilsbury's vision is not that of the tens of thousands of people who at present enjoy Elvaston as it is. What about their vision of the park?"

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire County Council said, "Details of the maintenance of the gardens and park will be included in a development agreement between the county council and Highgate, which has yet to be drafted and agreed. The county council will submit the Heritage Lottery Fund bid but needs support from Highgate on the long-term use for the whole estate. The county council will need to provide some match-funding for the bid." Companies who would make a profit from a development would not receive Heritage Lottery Funding, as it is only awarded on a not-for-profit basis, the spokeswoman added. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)