Castle plans for cafe ‘an abomination’

LONG-RUNNING plans to restore and make profitable Elvaston Castle and Country Park have had a further setback after the latest set of proposals were sensationally thrown out

One councillor at this month’s meeting of South Derbyshire District Council’s Planning Committee said the design for a new café at Elvaston was in her opinion “an abomination”

The committee meeting on June 6 heard a brisk 20-minute discussion on plans put forward by the county council to create a new café at Elvaston Castle plus restore and convert many of its listed core buildings

These plans had previously been put to committee members last October but were deferred so that they could visit Elvaston Castle and see for themselves what was involved

An objection from Historic England has since been resolved and officers at the council had recommended the proposals be granted

But things did not go that way and the meeting heard objections from two councillors, Cllr Daniel Corbin and Cllr Amy Wheelton, who did not rate the design of the café that had been put forward

In addition, Cllr Wheelton objected to knocking down part of an old wall, saying: “Just because you want to drive diggers through it is not a reason to destroy our heritage ”

Cllr Corbin said: “On a personal note, I have to say that I’m not againstthe addition of a new café but I would have thought if you are going to put a new addition on to such historical buildings (I would have liked to see) something more architecturally beautiful

“I’m surprised something hasn’t been proposed that enhances the site ”

Cllr Wheelton put across her feelings strongly, starting by saying that the site visit had been her first trip to Elvaston

“The buildings are stunning and it’s great that they are being brought back, but the café is an abomination,” she said

Elvaston Castle and Country Park is set in 321 acres of grounds and parkland The castle itself is said to be a “gothic revival masterpiece”

Both the buildings and gardens are listed as they are of special architectural and historical interest

But the estate is badly in need of a revamp as it currently loses the county council nearly a million pounds a year, and seven buildings included in the planning application are in such a poor state they are officially listed on the ‘at risk’ register

The county council created a masterplan to restore and breathe new life into the country park in 2018 Some elements of the proposals – mainly a planned new access road, have been very controversial – but these were not part of the application that has now been rejected