ELVASTON CASTLE - FINAL CONSULTATION

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The redevelopment of Elvaston Castle has been delayed by at least six months. Because of the castle's age and historical significance, English Heritage, which advises local authorities on applications involving listed buildings such as Elvaston, said that a conservation study must be carried out first. A spokeswoman for Derbyshire County Council said, "English Heritage agreed to fund a conservation study to look at what work needs to be done at the castle and how much that work will cost. The study will help inform all parties about the nature of the essential repairs needed which will help with the planning process."

Highgate Sanctuary has now revised its schedule, with the planning application due to be submitted this summer, work starting this winter and the hotel due to be completed by winter 2011. Despite the credit crunch, the company still plans to go ahead with the development. A Friends of Elvaston Castle spokesman said, "A conservation study costing £35,000 of taxpayers' money has already been carried out. The developer has been involved for at least five years and the estate is still declining. Nothing other than a not-for-profit community trust, made up of all stakeholder groups, is acceptable to the community to which the park belongs." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Apr/09)

To some it may be of no consequence but, to others, the sad saga of Elvaston Castle Country Park continues. When it was announced that the Highways Agency was going to build the A6 Alvaston by-pass, various groups from the community opposed it. One of these groups was concerned for the welfare of the great crested newt colony because their ponds lay on the direct line of the proposed by-pass.

The community were assured by the Highways Agency that replacement ponds would be dug and there would be no adverse effect on the established colony of newts. One would think that in the 21st century it would not be beyond the ability of the Highways Agency engineers to dig three ponds which were able to hold water, but obviously it is, and now the colony of 300 newts has been reduced to single figures. So the assurances from the Highways Agency were as empty as their present ponds!

Dorothy Skrytek, Derby and South Derbyshire co-ordinator for Friends of the Earth, who was concerned for the newt colony as well as the environmental cost, said at the time, "If the by-pass is built, it will be the beginning of the end for the Elvaston Castle Country Park." How prophetic were her words. It will be interesting to see if Derby City Council pursues a prosecution against those responsible for the care of these protected, rare species.

There is no acceptable excuse for its destruction. It would be reasonable to assume that the future of hundreds of species of plants and animals at this important wildlife site are now at risk. It seems to me that the only event that can save the Elvaston Castle estate for the benefit of the community is divine intervention, because the politicians are not interested. Alexander Devlin

A preliminary reading of the proposals for Elvaston Castle suggests that the latest proposals are almost too good to be true, certainly compared to some of the horror stories of recent years. After more careful analysis, the positive, almost lyrical tone of the proposals, however, reveals several disquieting features. Far from the castle being "sympathetically restored and extended to accommodate the hotel", the area and height of the hotel, as proposed, will overwhelm the castle. I can see no need or justification for preventing public access to the two courtyards and patio areas around the castle.

What is wrong with local people sharing these areas with hotel guests? I can find no reason for the destruction of part of the parterre. This deserves to be preserved. The building of a cafe in the walled garden is at odds with the council's avowed aim to "re-create or maintain the magical and theatrical qualities of Elvaston". Why not upgrade and rebuild the present cafe? There are some commendable aspects to the plan, particularly the proposed restoration of many of the garden features. However, several questions were not addressed.

There have been several examples recently of planning permission being granted for initially modest developments, then, when building is under way or complete, attempts are made to force through extensions to these plans, on the back of the original grant. What safeguards will there be to prevent this in the future for Elvaston? What safeguards will be in place in the event of the bankruptcy of Highgate Sanctuary Ltd or any successor company? What weight will the council's public consultation carry?

How will the value and strength of opinion behind amendments put forward by the public or, indeed, strong opposition to the entire plan from the public, be objectively assessed and acted upon? Finally, Elvaston is another example in the Derby area of properties being acquired by a local authority which then fails to maintain them to a fit standard. It seems to me that legislation is required to ensure that if a local authority acquires a property of local or national importance, they should be under an obligation to maintain it. A D Thorpe

Derbyshire County Council is now proposing to lease only the land which is needed for the £18m 160-bedroom hotel and golf course scheme. The decision is in response to 464 people who were against the scheme during its final consultation. The rest of the site, which includes the 185-acre core gardens, would not be included in the lease and could be run by a trust. Secretary of the Friends of Elvaston, Graham Mansey, said, "Highgate Sanctuary gets almost the entire park, plus the castle and buildings, and the community gets the bit that's left."

He added, "The scheme is totally inappropriate for Elvaston Castle, and the loss of public open space to a private, profit-motivated developer is totally unacceptable." The county council always said it intended to apply for Heritage Lottery funding to restore the core gardens and keep them open but in the face of legal action by the Friends of Elvaston, the council agreed to hold a final consultation on the "holistic plan" before signing any lease with Highgate Sanctuary or submitting a lottery application.

Of those who responded to the consultation, there were 13 in support, 464 against the proposals and 26 expressed some concerns. Up to 30 responses were e-mailed before the deadline, which the council has had to ask people to resubmit due to technical problems. Council officers believe that the public will be less concerned if the area outside the hotel and golf course is not included in a lease to Highgate Sanctuary. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Mar/06)

Activist group Save Britain's Heritage claim Elvaston Castle is "at risk" and needs urgent work to save from falling into decay. They've highlighted the grade II* listed building in a new catalogue featuring Britain's endangered properties. Rhiannon Tracy, officer for the Buildings at Risk project, said, "Apart from a café on the ground floor, Elvaston Castle is mostly vacant and this is a major problem. Although the building is weather proof and secure, the upper floors are in a derelict state. Some kind of sustainable solution for the house is needed urgently. It could deteriorate further unless it is saved and it is definitely worth saving."

In response to the claims from Save, a spokeswoman from Derbyshire County Council said, "We've worked hard to secure the necessary grant funding to allow us to carry out the fullest possible programme of repair work. The results of a report we're now considering will inform a strategic options appraisal that is being jointly funded by us and English Heritage. The strategic options appraisal will help establish the optimum viable uses for Elvaston Castle." She said repair work was currently being carried out.

A spokesman for the Friends of Elvaston Castle said, "Any outside recognition of the necessity to preserve and protect Elvaston Castle is welcome. The Friends of Elvaston advised SAVE of the true situation at the castle as long ago as 2004. We feel the council could easily raise the money to run the estate itself with weddings alone judging by the number of inquiries sent to the Friends of Elvaston." Elvaston Castle is one of four Derbyshire buildings in the catalogue. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, May/11)

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