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THE FRIENDS OF ELVASTON CASTLE LODGE OFFICIAL COMPLAINT
We
are campaigning to keep Elvaston Castle open to the
public and have accused the council responsible for its
upkeep of neglecting its duties. We have now lodged an
official complaint. The castle and country park have been
owned by Derbyshire County Council since the 1960s. The
Friends of Elvaston Castle say the council has failed to
care for the listed buildings and gardens in recent years
and that problems are getting worse while the authority
waits to complete a deal which would put the site in the
hands of a developer.
We
have submitted a formal complaint to the authority. A
council spokeswoman said, "The reason we have chosen
a private company to take over the lease is that the
council simply does not have the resources needed to
carry out major repair work. We are keeping the building
safe and watertight, which is what we have agreed to do.
But there are other areas where council money is needed,
such as schools, and the council just cannot afford to
keep putting large amounts into Elvaston Castle."
Highgate
would be able to carry out the work needed but the
Friends argue that this would be at a cost, with public
access restricted once the lease is signed. Members have
identified several areas of the building which they
believe need immediate attention. These include the
Golden Gates, which are believed to have once stood
outside the Palace of Versailles before being brought to
Derbyshire but which are now badly rusted. The grade
II-listed Moorish Temple, which was build in 1860 for the
Earl of Harrington, is also in a poor state, with windows
boarded up and walls covered with graffiti.
A
Friends spokesman said, "There are 17 listed
buildings on the Elvaston estate and it is the council's
duty to keep them wind and weatherproof, something which
it has clearly failed to do over a long period. We wish
to see the necessary repair and maintenance work begin
immediately. It simply will not do for the council to
carry on evading its legal responsibilities by claiming
that it cannot afford repairs whilst continuing to rely
on its disposal to the developers as a solution to the
problem of financing them." (Source: Derby
Evening Telegraph,
May/08)
To
hear an interview on Radio Derby click here
Comments:
One of Elvaston's main
problems is the geography. The DCC has little interest in
anything much south of Belper. Neglect it and plead
"no funds" is the usual cry. Geoff
I dont think I need to say what as already been said but
why can't they turn this into a attraction where they can
make some kind of profit? Take a look at Woollaton House
or Nottingham Castle. All the years I have been to
Elvaston Castle the only time I have been inside it is to
sit in the cafe. I would love to walk around it one day.
Please save this wonderful landmark so generations to
come can enjoy it too. A Ottwell
I know someone who owns a Hippodrome - he may be
interested in buying it with a view to repair it! James
Rachel, Derby City Council has nothing to do with
Elvaston, it belongs to Derbyshire County Council. If it
did belong to Derby City, I'm sure they could pop into
the basement and return with another bundle of cash so
recently fleeced from the tax payer. Ooops, I think they
already spent that box turning cathedral green into
cathedral hard-paving (honestly, grass and daffodils are
so untidy looking, we really ought to copy Matlock and
turn everything to tarmac and concrete). Bear
I have many fond memories of Elvaston Castle as I was
born and bred in Alvaston. I spent many hours walking
round there as a child and the photos posted on this
website have brought tears to my eyes. I have just taken
this from the listed building government website - http://www.heritage.co.uk/apavilions/glstb.html#p and it reads:- "If a local authority
consider that a listed building is not being properly
preserved they may serve on the owner a 'repairs notice'
under Section 115 of the Town and Country Planning Act
1971.
This notice must specify the works which the authority
consider reasonably necessary for the proper preservation
of the building and explain that if it is not complied
with within 2 months the authority may make a compulsory
purchase order and submit it to the Secretary of State
for confirmation. If the owner deliberately neglects the
building in order to redevelop the site, the local
authority may not only acquire the building, but may do
so at a price which excludes the value of the site for
redevelopment.
If the building is unoccupied, the authority can serve a
notice on the owner giving him 7 days' notice of their
intention to carry out repairs which are urgently
necessary to secure its preservation and recover the cost
from the owner. These powers may also be exercised by the
Secretary of State. Owners of listed buildings can, in
some cases, get grants or loans to help them with repairs
and maintenance." Since in this case it is the
council themselves who are neglecting this building I am
cutting out the middle man. I am drafting a letter to the
Under Secretary of State to request that enforcement
action is taken by his department to force the council to
preserve the building.
I note the council say they are complying with their
statutory obligations for a Listed Building. Quite
bluntly they are not. Windows have been smashed but not
replaced. The building is crumbling. The County Council
are simply saying they want to wash their hands of
Elvaston Castle and let the private sector do the work.
They allowed the old working farm to go to wrack and ruin
and the rest of the site will go the same way at this
rate. They refused to let people take the harness, carts,
gypsy caravans etc as they would prefer to let them rot.
One man asked for the gypsy caravan his father donated
back and they refused him.
How sad for him to know it was quite simply left to rot.
How sad for the people of Derby to see their heritage
disappear. If Derbyshire County Council stopped producing
the Insight newspaper they put through all our doors they
would have enough cash to replace the smashed windows and
to paint the Golden Gates at least!!! We are not talking
that much money to stop the building deteriorating. Oh
dear - silly me - they are too busy spending time and
money (our money as County Council Taxpayers) telling us
all how they are such an "excellent council" to
be bothered to maintain Elvaston Castle.
Last year they spent £3.2m on publicity - that would pay
for lots of renovation works!!! They think if they tell
us how "excellent" they are over and over again
we will believe it. Well I hope that in next year's May
2009 elections the voters will remember that it is their
money being used to promote the County Council's image
and not be taken in by it. I would be interested to hear
from the Friends of Elvaston Castle so I can copy the
email I send to the government to you. I am also going to
copy it to the MP for the area, Mark Todd. Please contact
me at: thefamilyblake@tiscali.co.uk. Juliette
If the council doesn't have the funds or the stomach to
take care of our heritage they should turn it over to the
National Trust for the benefit of our children and
grandchildren to enjoy instead of just leaving it to the
elements. Paul
Yet again the council sit on their hands and do
absolutely nothing. They did nothing on the Hippodrome
and look at what has happened to that wonderful building.
Now Elvaston Castle with all its wonderful history and
decoration is going the same way. Will Friargate Bridge
be the next wonderful Derby landmark that goes. Derby
City Council ought to be ashamed of themselves for doing
nothing to keep Derby's heritage safe and secure for the
next generations to enjoy.
The lot of them ought to be sacked. Will they ever learn
from their mistakes, it doesn't look like it at the
moment. The council ought to wake up and listen to what
the people of Derby want with regards to saving its
landmarks. I am Derby born and bred and come back home to
visit family on a regular basis and everytime I return
Derby changes yet again and it is not for the good. The
Westfield is an absolute eyesore. The one way systems are
a joke, you never know where you are going to end up. Rachel
Be sure to check that when the "digger" turns
up to do the "repair" work it doesn't have
"AB Demolition" emblazoned on it!! Rick
Get ready for the report that some one has set it on fire
and it was so badly damaged nothing could be saved.
Cynical, me? Tracey
John, what you are describing (HaHa Wall) is typical of
current Derby. Nothing is maintained - things are left
until they get into a terrible state then it is either
classed as 'too late' or is becomes a massive project.
Examples include Friargate Bridge (tree roots causing
damage) damaged guttering and down-pipes on Elvaston and
many others, toilets locked or demolished because simple
maintenance doesn't get done, etc. etc. Derby
Born
This neglect started years ago and is symptomatic of the
way Councils get around listings. I made this point about
Markeaton and Darley Parks. There was an attempt at
Allestree Park Hall. De-listing by deliberate neglect.
The conditions get so poor that along come the council
and condemn the building as unsafe and down it comes
Listed or not. I have watched the Ha Ha wall at Elvaston
Castle slowly deteriorate over the last couple of years.
The process was simple to fix.
When the first copping stone disappeared it should have
been replaced straight away at relatively low cost but it
was left so one after the other they all
"disappeared" and now the brick work is
deteriorating as it has no protection from the weather
and rain is penatrating downwards. And of course the
repairs will now be very expensive. Penny wise pound
foolish but is there a hidden agenda or is it just wanton
neglect. John
This place will end up like the Hippodrome. Steve
It has now been eight years since the state
of Elvaston Castle provoked the county council to sell
off what had, until 1981, been a jewel in the authority's
crown. All serious maintenance work ceased with the
change of control in May that year, and the situation has
not changed since. Had the house and ancillary buildings
been regularly maintained throughout that period, the
present state of affairs would not, of course, have come
about. Wilfully damaging a listed building is a criminal
offence.
Damage caused by wilful neglect is surely no different in
law ? but the council is hardly likely to take itself to
court and, I fear, the sheer expense is likely to deter
anyone else. The county council is not a fit body to be
in charge of any historic building, as the lamentable
cases of the Buxton Assembly Rooms, Burnaston House and
St Helen's House well attest. And it took two attempts
over four years to select the present developer, and even
then it was an untried outfit chosen in preference to an
experienced firm for a proven track record. Max
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