Grade I-listed mansion rescue plans approved

Bristol City Council has owned Ashton Court Mansion since 1959

A well known Grade I-listed building could be restored to its former glory.

Bristol city councillors unanimously agreed on Monday to give a trust exclusivity to develop a business plan to take over Ashton Court Mansion as well as carry out repairs.

Further deterioration of the Grade I-listed building, which the council has owned since 1959, would be a "tragedy" and "absolute vandalism", a council meeting was told by one councillor.

Councillors voted to enter into an agreement with Bristol Historic Buildings Trust that would see it given a 125-year lease, with the council retaining the freehold. No rent would be charged for the first decade but then 10% of profits shared with the council.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding, Bristol Historic Buildings Trust (BHBT) plans to carry out repairs to fix the building, aiming to make it a "vibrant" place for everyone in the city to use.

It plans to fix the building's roof, install a new heating, hot water and power system, resolve drainage issues and decorate the ground-floor rooms. All of which will need further approval by councillors.

"Everybody knows about Ashton Court," said Norman Routledge, who started BHBT as a private venture in 2007 and which the organisation says is now undergoing registration with the charity commission.

"The city offices have been brilliant recently in helping us get to the stage where I can invest my own money," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"We will do some events that make us money, other events that are more charitable and community events, but the mix, there's plenty of opportunity at Ashton Court to make it wonderful for everybody."

Councillor John Goulandris, who represents Stoke Bishop, told the meeting of the strategy and resources committee that the decision was a "fantastic opportunity for Bristol".

"The alternatives in the report are pretty dismal. One is to do nothing, to let this beautiful building collapse.

"That would be a tragedy, absolute vandalism".

'Deserves to be saved'

BHBT has worked on several other historic sites across the city, such as the St Michael on the Mount Without church.

Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol, Mr Routledge said a lot of people had dabbled with trying to save the mansion over the years.

"It's been quite a journey so far for us as BHBT, but we are now completely on board with the [city] council, Historic England and North Somerset Council.

"And it's just one of those iconic buildings that deserves to be saved.

"It's lain there empty for 50 odd years. If our trust doesn't save it, I fear it'll decline even more."