LETTER TO DERBY EVENING TELEGRAPH

When Derbyshire County Council announced the launch of its bid for Heritage Lottery funding to help restore the grounds of Elvaston Castle estate, the Evening Telegraph ran a comprehensive article which laid many fears about the estate's future to rest. However, a few people seem intent on rehashing old and incorrect rumours. We are happy to try to explain the facts.

Our project team members are all Derby businesses which care greatly about the castle and estate. The fact that we also have a commercial perspective doesn't make us villains. Indeed, without a viable commercial plan for the castle, the Heritage Lottery Fund would not consider grant funding to restore the gardens to their former grandeur.

Since the lottery funding application relates only to restoration of the grounds, the council's current consultation process is asking only for public comments regarding those. Highgate Sanctuary Ltd would not have any financial benefit from a successful grant application and, by contrast, we will be committing the majority of match-funding ourselves to the gardens project.

Under our plans, the castle would be transformed from its current dilapidated state to a hotel with leisure facilities to be enjoyed by guests and local people alike. The hotel would boost tourism in the area and create jobs. There would be no admission charges to the grounds and people would still be able to walk their dogs, ride their horses and enjoy walking around the lake and woods.

People will be able to have their say about plans for the castle building during the planning application process. We will be exhibiting our proposals for the hotel at the castle later this summer.

Some of the individuals now intent on criticising our proposals made their own bid, which was rejected by the county council because they were unable to demonstrate that they could deliver a viable future for the castle and estate. We, however, participated in a stringent two-year competitive process and were judged to have the best plans, plus a proven track record in Derbyshire.

Many people have welcomed our plans. We have been contacted by tourism authorities about showcasing a restored castle, by individuals excited by the prospect of a better-maintained estate, by brides who want to hold their weddings there and by businesses and educational establishments about holding conferences.

We are working with English Heritage and planning authorities to develop plans that would maintain the castle buildings' historic integrity and restore them from advanced deterioration to their proper splendour.

We will not enter into a drawn-out debate through letters in the Evening Telegraph. Instead, we invite people to judge us by what we deliver. We would also encourage people to help us build a legacy for their future and urge them to see the continued scaremongering by a small group for what it is.

Tanya Spilsbury, Managing Director, Highgate Sanctuary Ltd.