Planning applications for the first phase of the proposed £35 million restoration and transformation of Elvaston Castle Country Park are set to be submitted.
Final touches have been added to proposals to reverse decades of under investment and secure the future of the 321-acre Derbyshire estate, which includes the historic Grade II-listed gardens.
It follows a comprehensive public consultation exercise and many months of work by Derbyshire County Council and Elvaston Castle and Garden Trust, working with the National Trust.
Elvaston Castle, a gothic revival masterpiece lies at the heart of approximately 321 acres of open parkland, woodland and more formal historical gardens. Designed by James Wyatt in the early 1800s and based on the original house dating back to 1633, it was once the home of the Earls of Harrington. The Stanhope family and 11th earl finally left the estate in 1939 at the onset of the war. During the War, Elvaston housed a teacher training college and in 1964 the estate was put up for sale. It was purchased by Needlers (subsequently part of Tarmac Roadstone UK), a mineral extraction company, with the central core of the estate subsequently being sold to Derbyshire County Council and Derby Borough Council in 1969, saving it from being exploited as a series of gravel pits.
In 1970 the park was officially designated a country park and opened to the public.
The plans include a new café, regenerating the stables for retail, catering, exhibitions and office use, as well as new accommodation and workshops for site staff and volunteers.
Regeneration of the site, will ensure it will remain a free at the point of entry country park, and is expected to create more than 170 new jobs and increase the number of visitors from its current 240,000 a year once it is restored to its former glory.
The money for the project will come from a mix of public and private investment, including bids to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and substantial investment from the county council itself.
Councillor Tony King, the county council’s cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration, said: “If our proposals get the go-ahead, it will signal the start of the first phase of our plans to secure the future of Elvaston Castle Country Park for generations to come by making it a sustainable visitor attraction.”
Planning & Design Practice Ltd are delighted to be working on the ambitious transformation project, having been appointed as Heritage Planning Consultants for the scheme earlier in the year.
Planning & Design Practice Ltd recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas. We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and Derby City Centre, with clients including John Smedleys Ltd, Meadowview Homes, and Staton Young Group.
For more information on this project or for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your project or property, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01332 347371 to find out how we can help.
