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THE
FORMER LEADER OF DERBY CITY COUNCIL, CHRIS WILLIAMSON
BACKED THE DCC'S DISPOSAL PLANS FOR ELVASTON CASTLE
The Friends of Elvaston has drawn attention
to the fact that the 12.1 acre (4.9 hectares) area on the
north of the Local Nature Reserve (LNR), called
Greatricks Field, which the developers need for their
golf course(s) plans, and which Derbyshire County Council
fully supports, is, in fact, within Derby City Boundary.
This means that although the land technically
belongs to the Derbyshire County Council (It actually
belongs to the people but is administered by the County
Council), planning permission will now have to be sought
from both Derby City Council for Greatricks Field, and
South Derbyshire District Council for the rest of the
Park, which the developer wants for golf courses, club
houses, practice areas, ancillary and service buildings.
It is claimed that Greatricks Field has not
fulfilled what was expected from it in terms of a wetland
facility for wading birds but, if true, the reasons for
this do not seem to have been investigated. It could be
that the lack of funds to invest in the rest of the
Estate has impacted upon the LNR and its environs. In any
case, this does not mean that the area occupied by
Greatrick's Field could not support other habitat(s)
which would provide a greater nature conservation value
in biodiversity terms than it does now. If this situation
were achieved, visitors to the site could derive even
greater pleasure from the site than that which they
currently enjoy.
Derbyshire County Council and its real estate
developer partners, Highgate Sanctuary, are anxious to
point out that Greatricks Field;
‘has
not developed into a successful wildlife habitat’
Whatever the causes, merits and demerits of
this standpoint are, the mitigation argument being put
forward is that ‘the Nature Reserve could be
extended’, i.e., by the creation of planted fringe
areas to the golf course(s) fairways. Whilst this habitat
creation might be favourable in areas where there was no
previous nature conservation scheme employed, its use in
the case of Elvaston Castle would not be for the benefits
to wildlife but for the benefits to golfers and the
profits of the developers. As the DerbyshireCC and the
developers will not get their golf course plans through
without this mitigation, they are bound to make the
scheme look and sound grand, touching all the right
buttons in support of the idea. The Friends believes that
more effort should be put into making the area a success
in terms of nature conservation as it stands, not by
planting schemes allied to the disruption caused by the
building of golf courses.
The former Leader of Derby City Council,
Chris Williamson, is quoted in the Derby Telegraph
newspaper as stating;
“....
The Planning Committee’s decisions were not
party political”, and added that, “he did
not think that the City Council should stand in the
way of the County Council’s plans ....”
He also said;
“....
I think it’s a good scheme, it will preserve the
Castle, improve the grounds and in fact make it more
accessible for people. It will provide a good leisure
facility that will be popular with even more people.
The last thing I would want to do is to muddy the
waters of the County Council’s scheme ....”
These are predictable comments from Chris
Williamson. In September 2005, following his renewed
leadership, The Friends wrote to him asking for the City
Council’s backing in support of the community’s
efforts to stop the loss of the Estate. Although we
outlined our ideas for the Estate’s restoration, Mr
Williamson made it quite clear that there was no prospect
of the City Council getting involved in the matter. He
cited purely financial reasons for not wishing to become
involved with issues which; “Fall within the purview
of the County Council.”
It would now seem that financial matters are
not his only consideration. He has a lot to say in
support of the County Council’s disposal. Firstly,
It is interesting that he is quoting that the Planning
Committee’s decisions were not political, especially
as the issue of party affiliation does not seem to have
been raised in the article. However, under the
circumstances, it has to be said that both the City and
the County have had many years of Labour rule. Under
these administrations, great historical assets like
Allestree Hall, St Helen’s House and Elvaston Castle
and Estate have been gravely neglected, along with many
other places. In Derby, valuable antique furniture
belonging to the people of Derby City, part of the
possessions at St Helen’s House, were sneaked off to
an auction house at Nottingham, until they had to be
returned following the outcry when the public found out
about it!
Councillor Williamson thinks that the idea of
turning Elvaston Castle into an hotel and golf complex,
the loss of access to the general public of the Castle
and all the outbuildings plus 175 acres of Parkland, the
loss of the Caravan Park, the horse riding facilities, a
road built down the South Drive and straight through any
Garden restoration, a road built across the top of the
cricket pitch, a road built at Bedford Drive, a road
built around the back fo the former Working Farm Museum,
a glass box lift on the East Facade of the Castle,
mezzanine floors incorporated into the building, a large
amount of new build, dogs on leads, increased parking
fees and what remains of the Park being a possible choice
for pedestrians and riders alike of being knocked down by
either motor vehicles or golf balls, is a GOOD SCHEME!!
Councillor Williamson says of the scheme;
“It will preserve the Castle”
That it will; It will be fortified against
those who aren’t loaded with cash!
“It will improve the grounds”
If £10 million of public money in the form
of a Heritage Lottery Grant didn’t improve whatever
it was spent on we’d wonder why!
It will, “in fact, make it more accessible
for people.”
This is a puzzle Councillor Williamson! How
will the loss of the Castle and all of its outbuildings,
apart from those in which we will be allowed if we spend
money, plus the loss of Parkland to golf courses, plus
the building of roads where at present there are none,
make the Park more accessible for people?
“It will provide a good leisure facility
that will be popular with even more people”.
If you like golf it will be a good leisure
facility. Approximately 700,000 people a year have been
using the Park for many years without golf; 65,000 people
signed a public petition against the loss of the Park.
How many more people does Councillor Williamson think it
needs?
Even with the greatest of imagination, we
find it hard to believe that the first line of Councillor
Chris Williamson’s quote can be isolated from the
rest of what he says.
“....
The Planning Committee’s decisions were not party
political ....”
Perhaps, come election time, those tens of
thousands of people of all political persuasions who have
signed petitions, voted against the proposals and even
lobbied local councillors and MPs, and yet still find
themselves ignored by the likes of Councillor Williamson,
will remember what his stance on Elvaston Castle has
been.
Finally, from what Councillor Williamson has
stated in the press, he believes that the scheme touted
by the County Council will preserve the Castle, improve
the grounds, be more accessible for people, and provide a
good leisure facility that will be popular with even more
people. If such changes are possible, given the will to
bring them about, why was he so dismissive of the Friends
suggestions for restoring the Estate when we approached
him in September? We contacted him via email on September
28th, and he rejected our ideas totally, in a brief
reply, the following day. Our views in the matter are the
views of the community and our membership. The general
public will not carry on being ignored in the matter.
Those politicians who ignore this will be remembered by
those people at election time.
* The name Greatricks Field does not derive
from an owner’s name. It is a colloquial description
for the quality of the hay it produced when it was part
of Home Farm.
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