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LEGAL APPEAL
Dear Friends,
As you all now know, Derbyshire County
Council appears to be going ahead with its decision to
sell a 99 year lease on Elvaston Castle Country Park,
effectively disposing of it. Highgate Sanctuary plans to
build golf courses, an access road, club houses, service
buildings, a floodlit driving range, a hotel, and
residential units on the site and even when the lease
expires in the next Millenium, it is unlikely that the Park, much
altered, would ever again offer the public the amenities
that it does at present. The County Council's
announcement that public access will remain unchanged is
misinformation which it thinks will smooth the path of
its hand over to the real estate developers.
As we foresaw this event sometime ago, The
Friends of Elvaston Committee engaged a legal team to
represent the community in its battle to prevent
Derbyshire County Council from selling the lease without
the mandate of the general public, which it has so far,
ignored.
Our legal advisors advised us to call for a
Judicial Review and we have set strong evidence against
the County Council's lack of public consultation before a
judge at the High Court in London. However, these actions
require funding and the involvement of Barristers means
that this is not cheap. To fund Counsel's Opinion and
insurances we need in the region of £1000. We only have
a short time period in which to act.
Therefore, we are calling for donations from
all of the registered Friends and our supporters. We have
an account opened specifically for this purpose and are
requesting donations of £5 or £10. Naturally, if anyone
can afford more it will be gratefully received. Donations
can be paid in the form of direct transfer, cash, cheque
or postal order, made out to the Friends of Elvaston,
straight into the Derbyshire Building Society, at the
following;
| Bank Sort Code: |
Account No: |
Reference No: |
| 54 00 55 |
00000000 |
331182606 |
Anyone handing cheques, cash, postal or other
orders over the counter, only need the Reference No:
331182606.
Alternatively, cheques, postal orders etc,
can be made out to the Friends of Elvaston and posted to;
The Friends of Elvaston
24 Kirkleys Avenue North
Spondon
Derby
DE21 7FX
The funds will be used solely to place a
legal challenge against the Derbyshire County Council
over its intended disposal of Elvaston Castle Country
Park and will be under the control of the Friends'
Committee. In the unlikely event that we are
unsuccessful, any funds remaining will be donated to
Derbyshire Children's Holiday Home at Skegness,
Lincolnshire, (closed by Derbyshire County Council,
reopened by the community!).
Thankyou to everyone in advance. This is a
battle that we must not lose!
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