A WORD TO THE WISE, EXPOSE THE LIES!!

THE FULL STORY SO FAR OF EVENTS SURROUNDING THE ATTEMPTED DISPOSAL OF ELVASTON CASTLE COUNTRY PARK BY DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
(We advise EVERYONE who cares about the Castle and Estate, to read this carefully)

Derbyshire County Council constantly refers to Highgate Sanctuary as its preferred partner. The Friends of Elvaston claim that what is proposed is not a partnership in the recognized sense of the word, as claimed, but is, in actual fact the handing over of the management of our Elvaston Estate, to a private company, by way of a 99 year lease.

The reasons for this are clear. The following is extracted from a letter from Nick Hodgson Chief Executive of the Derbyshire County Council, to the Heritage Lottery Fund on December 23 1999.

“One of the issues which has been identified by Lorna McRobie, Director of Gardens and Landscapes for English Heritage, and other consultees is the need to ensure that there is a clear strategy for managing the site as a single unit”.

Recently, the Chief Executive of Derbyshire County Council has stated that the authority intends to dispose of the Elvaston Estate, on a 99 year lease, to Highgate Sanctuary. We leave it to your own judgement as to what this amounts to.

The reason that the idea of the takeover is quoted as a partnership is because Highgate Sanctuary, being a private commercial company, is not allowed by the rules of the Heritage Lottery Fund to apply for the funding itself. Derbyshire County Council has to apply but then intends to hand over the management to Highgate Sanctuary. Tanya Spilsbury of Highgate Sanctuary has stated publicly that Highgate will take over the management of the Estate.

This is what the Heritage Lottery Fund states regarding the involvement of private companies;

Our guidance on our public parks states that an application must be from a not-for-profit organisation, however we do welcome partnership working, which can include private owners or businesses involved in the partnership. We are very clear that such applications involving partnerships must be led by a not-for-profit organisation and need to show that the public benefit is greater than any private or commercial gain.

As Highgate’s plans for turning the Castle into a 120 bedroomed hotel with conference facilities, olympic swimming pool and gymnasium, which sits at the centre of the planned restoration area, and whose golf course would be adjoining it, Highgate Sanctuary can hardly be called a not-for-profit organisation by any stretch of the imagination.

Derbyshire County Council and its agents Lanarca, and the developers Highgate Sanctuary are attempting to create the impression that by restoring the Gardens and turning the Castle into an hotel they will revitalize the Estate and guarantee its future. This is quite true – it will guarantee its future – as an Estate which once belonged to the people and to which all but a tiny fraction will be denied access unless they can afford to pay up to £10 a visit. Strangely, this is Derbyshire County Council and Highgate Sanctuary’s idea of proving that ‘public benefit is greater than any private or commercial gain’.

Councillor John Harrison has stated that only a peppercorn rent will be charged for the lease and that any monies from the sale of the lease will go directly to the benefit of Highgate Sanctuary.

In the opinion of the Friends this equates with giving the Estate away. What possible gain or return could this give to the Derbyshire taxpayer? We buy your house and then give you the money from the sale straight back for which we charge you a very low or nominal rent! How does this benefit the public?

The so called Public Consultation run by Derbyshire County Council via the website and on-the-ground surveys to be carried out by Lanarca is a complete sham.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has ordered the ‘consultation’ before the granting of public money can be allowed under the rules. This is because the sum involved, £10 million, is so large. The East Midlands has never had such a high amount granted to such a project in one payment and it is ironic that such an enormous amount of money will only benefit a private company, not the general public, who are being duped.

What the so called ‘consultation’ is supposed to do is to ensure that even-handedness takes place in all such potentially controversial areas of development such as this highly contentious and disputed attempt to dispose of Elvaston Castle Country Park.

If this were to be a properly carried out consultation it would begin with the following questions;

Do you think that amongst its questions, Lanarca should ask whether the Estate should be run by a not-for-profit trust for the benefit of the community?

Do you think that Lanarca should be stating on its website that it intended that the Castle be turned into an hotel?

Is this really giving you a choice in the matter, or telling you what is to be, irrespective of how many people might disagree with it?

Do you agree with the proposal to spend £10 million on the restoration of Elvaston Castle Estate Core Gardens to William Barron’s original design?

If you agree with agree with the restoration and it means the loss of the Park, would you still say yes?

IF YOUR ANSWER TO THE LAST TWO QUESTIONS IS YES, THEN YOU HAVE JUST LOST YOUR COUNTRY PARK, INCLUDING A LOCAL NATURE RESERVE, WILDLIFE HAVEN, WILDFLOWER MEADOW AND THE POTENTIAL DESTRUCTION OF THE ECOLOGY OF THE LAKE AND RIVERS DERWENT, TRENT AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES, DUE TO THE NITROGENOUS FERTILISER AND PESTICIDE RESIDUES RUNNING OFF THE GOLF COURSE INTO THEM.

If you don’t agree with the questions presented by Lanarca and think for instance that it would be better to RESTORE THE HOUSE and infrastructure first, you should be able to clearly say so.

This, however, is definitely not the case! You are not asked! You have no choice, you have no voice. You can disagree but your disagreeing will not change anything. This is not proper public consultation as outlined in the Cabinet Office Code On Consultation issued by Tony Blair in 2000, updated in 2004.

At present, Lanarca’s woefully inadequate website attempts to address the most contentious questions with a series of ‘quick-fix’ solutions which it believes are what the public wants to hear.

In reality, all this is an attempt to make it appear as a ‘Public Consultation’, when in actual fact, what is being attempted by Derbyshire County Council is a ‘fait accompli’, an irreversible accomplishment.

After 35 years of being opened as a Country Park, the authority knows exactly what the habits of the Park Users are, and how they come and go, without yet another (£25,000) questionnaire.

Here, in a step-by-step appraisal, are the Friends comments on Lanarca’s and therefore Derbyshire County Council’s questions and answers; Lanarca’s questions are in black;

What is the ‘consultation’ all about?
It is about flannelling the public.

How can I comment?
You can’t. Not if you take part in this so called consultation, which does not follow the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation as set out by the Government.

How long will the process take?
Supposedly, 3 months.

How much of the Gardens and Park will still be open to the public?
It depends on how much you can afford to pay. Lanarca’s answer to this also states that public access may be extended into areas not currently open to the public – for instance, both the Walled Gardens.

This just shows how hastily this public relations fiasco has been thrown together and just how meaningless it is – The Walled (Kitchen) Garden known as the Old English Garden is open to the public on a year round basis. The Walled (Kitchen) Garden known as the Secret Garden contains polytunnels sponsored by Rolls Royce Ltd., and is used by disabled youngsters and those with learning difficulties from both Derby and Nottingham.

Will I still be able to walk my dog/walk around the lake?
Yes, if you have paid.

Will there be an entry fee for the Gardens and Park?
Here, Lanarca pre-empts any decision by the Heritage Lottery Fund by stating what the conditions will be and that there will be no charge for access to the Park and Gardens (only a ‘maintenance fee’ from the car park, which will also contribute to the provision of associated facilities, whatever that means).

If this is true, how does it balance with this statement, made by the Assistant Chief Executive of Derbyshire County Council, Mr. Gerald Tommy, in a letter to Mr. Phillip Whitehead MEP;

“Access to the Historic Core Gardens is to be guaranteed under any proposal, but controlled access and a payment is considered necessary if their long-term viability is to be assured. Any lottery funding will, I believe, demand such control and a commercial approach”.

This has been the case right from the start with this administration at Derbyshire County Council, at least with regard to Elvaston Castle Country Park.

Why can’t we comment on plans for the Castle during this consultation process?
They don’t want your plans for the Castle – they only want to see a hotel. with 120 bedrooms, conference facilities, olympic swimming pool etc., As this is planned to extend not only into the courtyard of the Castle, but also to the north (Lake) side, it will destroy forever at least a part of two of William Barron’s Gardens, and possibly the surviving remains of even earlier ones.

What about access by car?
This will stay as it is for now, until they can sneak in a road down the South Drive and relocate the car park by the Golden Gates. That this is the intention becomes clearer if you read the questions on the original Garden Restorations form issued by Derbyshire County Council, in which they first put forward the proposals for an access road via this route.

The County Council and the developers still intend to pursue this. As the South Lodge is listed they will have to enter the Park at an angle and join up with the South Drive inside the Park. This will mean that trees, some of which could have been planted by William Barron will be felled in order to carry out the plan. This road will then be brought down to the Golden Gates where a parking area will be formed. We will vigorously oppose this as it is in an English Heritage protected area. As usual, this has not been publicly announced, only a vague allusion that the main (Fox Covert) car park MAY remain on its current site. Lanarca’s statement continues;

'Within a countryside setting, access is an important issue to be discussed’.

We wish to state here that we most certainly agree with this and the Friends are indeed ready and only too willing to discuss these and other points publicly and openly with Lanarca, or Derbyshire County Council or any of their agents.

We are watching these manoeuvres very carefully indeed and will be reporting our findings as they occur.

Following the returns from the Garden Restorations document the authority placed the entire Estate on the open market lock, stock and barrel. As the returns amount has been previously quoted as 600, this has led, over the last five years, to public indignation which has given way to outrage. There are still many members of the public who are still unaware of this however.

After the marketing of the Estate (at enormous expense to the taxpayer), 15 various concerns came forward with ideas on how to run it, from charitable trusts to commercial ventures. Derbyshire County Council then issued a booklet giving details of the proposals which had yet another questionnaire on the back, entitled How You Can Help and asking five questions, which had a series of tick-boxes containing the ‘options’. In small letters at the bottom of this form it was described as a public consultation. Question 5 was; ‘The Estate should be leased or sold to release substantial income to be spent on key County Council Services – such as schools and social services – across the County, together with tick-box options.

The County Council issued 287,000 of these, receiving by return 2,100. Of these respondents, 63.1% Strongly Disagreed that the Estate should be leased or sold and a further 15.03% Disagreed, making a total of 78.13% of respondents who Disagreed, the majority of them strongly, with the disposal of the Estate. See: Consultation Results

Despite this, the County Council went ahead with its plans to sell a 99 year lease on the Estate. Not only this, it persistently and falsely claimed that 70% of respondents supported the disposal, completely ignoring its own public consultation results. Further to this, a bid by the time share company Seasons Holidays was chosen, which fell through. Seasons was one of the least popular choices with the general public.

Back to Lanarca’s questions;

What about the bridleways and footpaths?
These will stay as they are until we can get them diverted.

What happens if the Heritage Lottery Fund grant application is unsuccessful?
Don’t worry, Derbyshire County Council is so desperate to get rid of the Elvaston Estate that it will throw in two and a half million pounds of Derbyshire Taxpayer’s money regardless, this is a stated fact. Ask lanarca, see their website.

Who will manage the Gardens?
Highgate Sanctuary.

How does the ‘public consultation’ for the Heritage Lottery Application differ from the ideas being considered by the Council’s preferred partner, Highgate Sanctuary?
It purports to consider what the public actually thinks about the scheme!

What about access to the Castle?
Once again, Lanarca fails to tell the truth, claiming in this question that at present there is no public access to the Castle, but that this will be restored by them. There are regular public tours organised at present, which are advertised in the press, also ghost tours, regular craft fairs and art exhibitions. It also states that the hotel area is for hotel users but that if you have paid at the car park, you ‘could’ be allowed to use the hotel bar.

What about the Nature Reserve – Is this included in the ‘consultation’ process?
No, it is needed for the golf course.

The Elvaston Castle Estate is approximately 325 acres in size. Only 200 acres is open to the public, the rest is either closed off or rented out by Derbyshire County Council. If they receive £10 million of Heritage Lottery funding to restore the Historic Core Gardens, these will have to be fenced off and a DAILY fee of up to £10 per person charged for access to them. We refer you back to the comment made by the County Council’s Assistant Chief Executive to the MEP Phillip Whitehead, where he states that “ controlled access and a payment is considered necessary”.

As the Core Gardens are approximately 185 acres in size, the amount of Parkland left open for people to just roam freely will be around 15 acres.

Tanya Spilsbury, the Chief Executive of Highgate Sanctuary, the development company which wishes to take over the Estate, has stated publicly that the company will require 10% of this remaining land as part of a golf course her company is planning to build there.

There you have it then! All that will be left for free and open public access is a little over 12 acres! In walking this ground, people will have to dodge the potentially lethal flying golf balls being whacked around the Estate by Highgate’s exclusive clientele.

All the Friends of Elvaston who have the opportunity to take part in Derbyshire County Council’s latest proposed consultation regarding the £10 million restoration of the Historic Gardens at Elvaston Castle should think very carefully at just what it is the County Council is attempting to do.

One way that you can make your feelings known regarding the one-sidedness of the questions is to fill in the section with your name and address and then add the line that is missing…. Namely, I disagree because……‘THIS IS NOT A PROPER CONSULTATION’

Firstly, DON’T confuse this with the flawed (so called) consultations that it (Derbyshire County Council) carried out in order to give it the go ahead to dispose of the Estate in the first place, the results of which it has lied about all the way along. The County Council has never had the permission of the public to sell, or lease out, Elvaston Castle Country Park to developers, nor, we hope, will it ever do.

This is one our most fiercely contested battles with Derbyshire County Council over the matter and is still in the hands of the Ombudsman. We will continue to oppose the privatisation and disposal of the Estate at every opportunity.

Whilst the Friends’ welcome the restoration of any part of the Estate and, as a community organisation themselves, wish to restore both the Historic Gardens and the House and Estate in its entirety, we have to question the reasoning and motive behind an attempt to gain grants of public monies to the tune of £10 million for garden restoration, when, according to Derbyshire County Council, £3 million would fully restore the House itself!

Any response to the consultation is merely as to whether you agree/disagree with a garden restoration. The Derbyshire County Council has already decided to dispose of the Estate to Highgate Sanctuary and your contribution to the consultation will make no difference to that aspect of the matter. It could however, create a situation where it becomes unviable for the developer to continue with the bid. So a ‘no’ to £10 million on the Gardens, together with robust statements of your feelings on the matter sent to the Heritage Lottery Fund could help tremendously in the fight for Elvaston.

The answer therefore, is clear. To respond in favour of the DCC’s proposals for the restoration will speed up the loss of the Country Park. Don’t fall for DCC’s con trick! Disagree with any proposal to spend a penny on the gardens whilst the Castle itself is in need of repair.

Why should a private hotel be placed in the middle of a £10 million garden paid for out of PUBLIC money? Free for the hotel guests, costing up to £10 each for you and I to enter every time we park our cars!

A negative response from enough people will help to foil Derbyshire County Council’s attempt to dispose of the Elvaston Estate through the back door. Each and every member of the Friends should play his or her part in this by voting a resounding NO vote to the garden restoration by DCC and by telling everyone what they can about what the DCC is up to!

WE WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TWO MORE VERY IMPORTANT FACTS IN THE MATTER;

Derbyshire County Council is Match Funding the Heritage Lottery Fund bid to the tune of two and a half million pounds of Derbyshire Taxpayer’s money to benefit a private company. If its bid fails Derbyshire County Council states through Lanarca that it will commit this sum into backing Highgate Sanctuary’s garden restoration.

This sum, which is being given to benefit a private company would, in our opinion, be better spent on Key County Council services – such as schools and social services – across the County.

We would also like to know on behalf of the people, how much the disposal of our Country Park up to present has cost the Derbyshire taxpayer – To catalogue the Museum exhibits alone at Elvaston Castle, prior to their removal to leave Highgate Sanctuary with vacant possession, has cost, up-to-present, over the last 5 years, £166,363.

We have much to say about recent events surrounding the Museum exhibits – To follow.

Graham Mansey, for and on behalf of the Friends of Elvaston Committee.

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