NOTICE OF DISPOSAL

ELVASTON CASTLE AND COUNTRY PARK
Sub-Section 123(2A) Local Government Act 1972 and
Section 26(2) Town and Country Planning Act 1959
Disposal of Open Space

THE DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL being the owners of Elvaston Castle and Country Park GIVE NOTICE of its intention to grant a 150 year lease of the Castle and part of the Country Park amounting to approximately 150 acres of land including Home Farm and the Stables area complex to Highgate Sanctuary Ltd for the following purposes:-

* Hotel with conference and leisure facilities (Castle, courtyards and immediate area)
* Craft type businesses (stable area)
* Golf course(s) extending as required onto surrounding land not in Council ownership
* Golf Club House

As consideration for the lease Highgate Sanctuary will:-

* Provide £2.75m to support matched funding required for a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the restoration of the Historic Gardens
* Relieve the Council of a £4m plus repair bill for the Castle and associated buildings
* Pay ongoing service charges and/or carry out works to help maintain access routes and features of the estate generally in proportion to use and benefits

A plan showing the areas to be included in the lease can be seen on the Derbyshire County Council website www.derbyshire.gov.uk and can be obtained from Alan Beastall, County Property Officer, Derbyshire County Council, County Hall, Matlock. DE4 3AG.

For information the remaining 165 acres of the Country Park which remain in the Council's ownership are not affected by this proposal. The Council is considering establishing a Trust to manage the Park and Historic Gardens.

Any person wishing to object to the proposed lease should do so by writing to:-

Gerald Tommy
Director of Corporate Resources
Derbyshire County Council
County Hall
Matlock
DE4 3AG

quoting reference ECC/705 before Friday, 12th May 2006: All objections so received will be considered by the County Council.

Gerald Tommy
Director of Corporate Resources

Dated: 5 April 2006

Q. How much is the Elvaston Castle lease?
A. Don’t Know!

The Disposal Notice does not declare clearly what the actual amount to be paid to DCC for the lease to Highgate Sanctuary will be.

I have written to DCC AGAIN to ask them what amount will Highgate actually PAY directly to the DCC for the lease.  Should I get a reply it will be published. Linda Patas

Now that Derbyshire County Council has announced the disposal of Elvaston Castle Country Park, we, as long-time protesters, feel vindicated. The county council has always claimed that it was seeking a partner in the running of the estate. The disposal notice dispels any doubts. The county council is handing over the management of the castle and estate on a 150-year lease to a private real estate developer.

The proposals announced include plans for golf courses which will destroy the amenity of visual open space and potentially damage the ecology, and also residential units for hotel/and/or other uses. Does this mean that they intend to build log cabins on the estate, as previous bidders intended to do? If so, this would definitely mean a loss of public access to those areas.

The Friends had a map published in which we outlined the area of parkland that would be lost to a golf course, including public bridleways used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. This has never been refuted. There is no guarantee to the future of the local nature reserve on the Elvaston Castle estate. Alexander Devlin, Vice-Chair

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