Campaign groups say millions 'wasted' on Elvaston Castle masterplan that's set to be scrapped

Campaign groups claim the “wasting” of millions of pounds on the set-to-be-withdrawn Elvaston Castle master plan is “lamentable”. Two campaign groups have consistently opposed Derbyshire County Council’s master plan for the Elvaston Castle and Country Park Estate and welcome it being on the verge of withdrawal and restart.

The county council says the plan, the first phase of which was priced at £35 million, which has now risen to £50 million, is “no longer financially viable” and “unaffordable”. It is due to be withdrawn at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, November 14, and a new, affordable plan is to be put together, focusing on the showground, castle courtyard and marketing.

A spokesperson for the Friends of Elvaston campaign group said: “It is lamentable that the millions wasted over the years weren’t spent on the castle and parkland itself otherwise it would now be a thriving enterprise. However, a new approach is under way, with a number of individuals and community organisations, including the Friends of Elvaston, being given the opportunity to contribute new input.

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“Staff at the castle, together with the trust, are doing their best to go forward with the resources available, so everyone involved is hoping that a new chapter can be opened on the future of the estate, so that its loss can hopefully be avoided.” A spokesperson for the Elvaston Castle Action Group said: “After many years of community campaigning and fundraising Elvaston Castle Action Group is pleased to see that Derbyshire County Council have withdrawn the environmentally damaging proposals for Elvaston Castle.

“It is ironic that the cabinet document now recommends some ideas that were contained in the action group’s alternative plan for the country park. However, the council has wasted huge sums of public finance on its master plan – money which could have been used to fund more holistic restoration and maintenance of the castle and grounds.

“Elvaston Castle and Country Park is registered as an Asset of Community Value and the action group will watch any future developments concerning a possible sale closely, always ready to campaign to protect this much-loved special place.” Meanwhile, the Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust, which has been assisting the council with the day-to-day running of the estate, said a new plan would allow the organisation to “invest further in volunteering, community engagement, fundraising and heritage”.

It wrote: “This includes new dates for the New Year when we will once again be providing visitors with an opportunity to visit the castle, as well as the recent funding we secured to do further work in the gardens, building on the work we have done to further develop the visitor experience in the nature reserve. The more we can do to develop the heritage asset, the easier it will become to work with partners to develop and manage the estate in the future whilst ensuring it remains a much-valued community asset.”

The council, which has previously marketed the Elvaston site for sale, has now said “a sale would be considered in the future as part of the long-term options for the estate if an opportunity arises”. It has managed the site as a public country park estate for more than 50 years but this could come to an end due to the authority’s own financial pressures, with many “difficult decisions” being made.

The council writes that the decision is linked to “financial challenges affecting many local authorities”, with the county council facing a budget black hole of £40 million. Council papers to be discussed next week detail: “The impact of inflation and the complex nature of the project have seen the potential costs of the master plan spiral, while grants that might have helped fund its proposals are no longer available.”

The master plan had included a 1.5km new access road from the B5010, a new 600-space car park, a 150-cover cafe, an adventure playground and the creation of 176 new full-time jobs.

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