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THE
FRIENDS RESPOND TO CITY COUNCIL LEADER
The Labour leader of Derby City Council,
Chris Williamson, has announced his support for
Derbyshire County Council's disposal plans for Elvaston
Castle Country Park (published in the Derby Evening
Telegraph, 31/7/06).
Mr Williamson stated that he did not think
the city council should stand in the way of the county
council's plans for Elvaston Castle and that he thought
it a good scheme.
His opinions are at odds with the wishes of
tens of thousands of city residents regarding the
disposal of this valuable asset.
We would remind Mr Williamson of his
responsibility and accountability to the people of the
city, not to the county council, the intended policy of
which will, in our opinion, be of no benefit to the wider
community.
He thinks it is a good idea, which would
attract more visitors to the park.
Unfortunately, this scheme would attract
traffic through large areas of the park to access the
hotel and golf facilities.
This would cause noise, pollution and
potential danger in places where families with children,
the elderly and disabled and people walking their pets
enjoy the gardens in a safe, tranquil and unrestricted
environment.
There is uncertainty about the continuation
of the riding stables, as the grazing areas are wanted
for the golf course.
Part of the nature conservation area,
Greatricks Field, 12.1 acres of wetland habitat attached
to the local nature reserve which falls within the city
boundary, would be taken for the golf course.
The developers have stated that a
tournament-level course would be built on the parkland.
Very often, such tournaments result in local
foot and bridle paths being closed to the public for the
duration of the event, due to the numbers of paying
spectators involved.
Local people who access the park via these
routes would be denied access under such circumstances.
Parking fees could be increased to as much as
£10.
If our city representatives had got involved
earlier, maybe they would have realised how deeply the
community felt.
It is not too late for the city council to
look again at the consequences of these proposals.
It is now within the power of Derby City
Council to stop this development. The Friends of Elvaston
urge it to do so.
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