'Major betrayal' - Derbyshire council explores sale of Elvaston Castle and country park

A Derbyshire council is touting interest in the potential sale of a castle and country park estate in what has been dubbed a “major betrayal”.

Derbyshire County Council, which has owned the 321-acre Elvaston Castle and Country Park Estate for 50 years, is reassessing its long-term future.

This comes four months on from the council scrapping a long-held £35 million regeneration masterplan – with costs surging to £50 million – which became “no longer financially viable”, in favour of a stripped-back low-key replacement plan.

In November it had said: “A sale would be considered in the future as part of the long-term options for the estate if an opportunity arises.”

However, the council now appears to be taking that opportunity to market instead of waiting for it to come forward.

The Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust, a charity working with the council to operate and maintain the site, has detailed: “We are saddened to learn of Derbyshire County Council’s decision to explore options to dispose of the Elvaston Estate so suddenly. 

“Having worked on several business plans and business models over the past ten years for Elvaston, we do not currently believe that it would be in the best interests of the estate for The Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust to submit a bid to purchase the asset under the asset of community value legislation. 

“By taking this position, we are not precluded from talking to anyone interested in acquiring the property, we can continue to champion the environment, restoration, education and accessibility at Elvaston in line with our charitable objectives, protect the jobs of our staff delivering critical on-site programmes and work with potential new partners involved with DCC. 

“We can also continue to be there and support the estate should any proposed sale fail to materialise. Our decision aligns with our commitment to working to find a solution that offers Elvaston long-term sustainability.

“Our ideal outcome would be an organisation or individual that is committed to public access, has a desire to share and develop the heritage assets at Elvaston and has the funds available, or has a fundraising strategy, to restore the property fully.”

In response, a county council spokesperson said: “At the moment we are just exploring options for the long-term future of Elvaston Castle and Country Park and are inviting interest from organisations that may be capable of taking on the estate.

“We have discussed this with the Elvaston Gardens and Castle Trust, and they were supportive of this proposed course of action.

“Elvaston Castle requires significant investment to secure its future, and the council is not best placed to provide this. 

“No decisions have been made, and the council remains committed to protecting this much-loved heritage site for its communities. 

“A formal notice will be published in line with legal requirements, allowing for public engagement in the process.

“The estate costs around £400,000 a year to run, and with ongoing financial pressures, we need to explore sustainable solutions. 

“We remain open-minded and welcome discussions with community groups and other potential partners.”

A Friends of Elvaston spokesperson said: “The council has wasted at least a million pounds on a doomed road scheme. To pull the plug on Elvaston Castle and Gardens a month or two into the revised plan to pursue various new projects is a major betrayal.”

The masterplan ditched by the council last November had been six years in the making and has already seen the authority spend more than £1 million on its proposed redevelopment.

The first phase of the master plan involved a new “discreet” 1.5km access drive from a roundabout to be built off the B5010 close to Thulston Roundabout, leading to a new 600-space car park – previously priced at £5 million.

It also involved the regeneration and reuse of historic buildings as a range of shops including an ice cream parlour, blacksmiths, education centre, tearoom and plant and flower sales.

A new 150-cover cafe and adventure playground was also to be built as part of this first phase, along with “enhanced landscaping” throughout the site.

The plan aimed to create 176 new full-time jobs with 194 in total across the site when including existing jobs in the figure.

In November, four months ago, the council replaced this with a new “affordable” list of improvements for the site, which was set to include upgrading the equestrian and showground facilities, modernising the castle courtyard and increasing marketing of the site, “giving a much quicker return on investment”.

Cllr Tony King, cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, had said: “It is becoming increasingly expensive to run and cannot generate enough income in its current form to cover its costs.

“If we leave Elvaston in its current condition that, too, will come at an increasingly unaffordable cost. 

“It therefore makes sense to look at the potential for a new approach that addresses immediate challenges while also examining all options for a viable long-term future.”