ST HELEN'S HOUSE

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City council cabinet members voted to delay selling the building while proposals are considered for a charitable trust to manage the Grade-I listed building. The original meeting agenda recommended "marketing of the site for disposal". The move, opposed by residents' groups and heritage experts, followed a revelation that the building needed £5m of repairs. Following a presentation by campaigners to the council's culture and prosperity commission, the council changed its recommendations.

Peter Steer and John Farnsworth, both members of Derby Heart (Heritage and Environmental Association of Residents and Traders) put forward proposals to set up a trust. The pair were also representing Derbyshire Archaeological Society, the Workers' Educational Association, Derby Civic Society, the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings, architects and historic building consultants.

They suggested St Helen's House should be retained as a centre for education, vocation and recreation and were given three months to come up with a feasibility study. SSSSHH founder member Ellen Hutchings, of Chester Green, said, "The council has made a U-turn. Setting up this trust is definitely something we want." But council leader Maurice Burgess, said, "This is no U-turn, I've been working on this for a long time." (Of course you have Mr Burgess, of course you have).

He added, "There's no certainty that the charitable trust is definite, but we want to give them every opportunity to let this work." Mr Steer, however, said the charitable trust idea was suggested six days before.

The St Helen's House Trust has been given the go-ahead by the city council to carry out a detailed feasibility study of the building in advance of submitting a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Cabinet members also agreed to prioritise St Helen's House below the Roundhouse and Silk Mill in any future bids for Heritage Lottery funding.

Councillor Dave Roberts, deputy leader of the city council, said, "I am delighted that the council was able to provide the assurances that will enable the trust to continue its efforts to keep St Helens House as a focal point of the city's historic past. The trust was very pleasantly surprised. It only needed a dose of common sense." He said nothing had changed as far as the council was concerned, as it was unlikely a private buyer would be found within 18 months. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

Derby City Council's new Labour administration is considering selling four items of furniture which had been controversially removed from the Grade I-Listed St Helen's House, in King Street, when Labour was last in power. The furniture, estimated to be worth £25,000, was to be auctioned in Nottingham in 2003 but was withdrawn at the 11th hour when the council's new Lib Dem/Tory alliance bowed to public pressure. Derby Heritage Centre owner Richard Felix led the campaign calling for the furniture to remain on public view in the city. The council agreed to put up the £5,000 penalty fee for withdrawing the items from sale on the understanding that a wave of public pledges would ensure Derby council tax payers would not have to foot the bill.

It is now understood that the council has received only a fraction of the money promised, although it was unable to confirm the shortfall. The mahogany furniture, a table, a sideboard, a wine cooler and a bookcase, is now in the ceremonial foyer of the Council House, Corporation Street. It is mostly hidden from public view and, according to council leader Chris Williamson, is badly in need of restoration. "It's just blocking a corridor. It's just languishing there," he said. "It was a stupid decision to withdraw it from auction in the first place. The Lib Dems claimed they would recover the expenditure from public subscription and they haven't done so."

Mr Williamson said that deciding the future of the furniture was not a top priority but confirmed that selling it at auction was a possibility. Lib Dem leader Maurice Burgess, who was ousted as council leader earlier this month, said the move would spark a major public protest. "It wouldn't surprise me if he sold it because he has no interest in the city's historical artefacts," said Mr Burgess. "I suspect there will be one almighty protest if he decides to flog it again and we will be at the forefront of the protest." Joan D'Arcy, chairman of Derbyshire Archeological Society, was involved in the campaign to save the furniture from auction. She said, "I'd be very disappointed if the council took that approach, given the amount of effort that was made to reclaim that furniture."

It once belonged to industrialist William Strutt, who lived at St Helen's House from 1803. Mr Burgess said he had planned to return it to St Helen's House in the event of the building's eventual refurbishment. The sideboard and the bookcase were on display at Derby Heritage Centre, in St Peter's Churchyard but Mr Burgess revealed they had been removed by the council due to concerns over their care. "I just don't think the Heritage Centre realised what it had taken on when it agreed to have the furniture," he said. "We didn't believe it had been looked after." (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph)

The question that needs to be asked to put this into context is this: Derby has a portfolio of buildings that are difficult to use effectively but are listed. All can be brought back into use, at a significant cost. Are the council tax payers in Derby prepared to pay for the reinstatement of these buildings through significant increases in council tax? The response of council tax payers in every survey indicates that council tax is already considered too great a burden and that significant increases would be extremely unpopular. I hope that I receive a sack full of mail asking for tax rises to pay for the restoration of these buildings, but I doubt it. Councillor Dave Roberts, Deputy Leader, Derby City Council

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