Country park's £35m revamp under review

Elvaston Castle has been owned by Derbyshire County Council since 1969

"Significant” financial challenges have led to a full review of a council’s £35m plans for a Derbyshire castle and country park.

The multimillion-pound improvement plan for Elvaston Castle and Country Park Estate is set to be redrawn due to costs rising since the proposal was first submitted.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the review has also been made after the first phase of the project failed to gain the approval of South Derbyshire District Council.

Derbyshire County Council, which owns the castle, said it was fully committed to a sustainable future for the site and councillors are set to be updated on the issue next month.

In September, the county council announced a review of all its capital projects after it forecast a £46m overspend.

LDRS said the authority has a £40m budget gap for the current financial year, 2024 to 2025.

The council's current budget cuts include proposals to close up to 11 care homes, 10 children’s homes, eight older person’s day centres, four short-break centres and four day centres for people with autism.

'Lacks imagination'

Phase one of the project included a new 150-seat cafe, adventure playground and a new “discreet” 1.5km access drive off the B5010 close to Thulston Roundabout, leading to a new 600-space car park.

In June last year, the district council rejected the first phase, dubbing the new café plans as “naff” and an “abomination” which “lacks imagination”.

Elvaston Parish Council had given support for the project to convert and extend historic buildings, but with the “caveat” that the proposed new access route was scrapped.

The Friends of Elvaston Castle campaign group filed an objection saying the “scale and massing of the proposals is incongruous with the castle and core buildings”.

The Elvaston Castle Action Group has consistently opposed the application due to the significant environmental damage it claims would be caused by the planned new link road.

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