-
Hurst House – eight years and still waiting
It is eight years Hurst House closed as a community education centre and five years since the Civic Society first complained to the Charity Commission about the negligent misconduct of Derbyshire County Council as sole trustee of the charity which owns the property. We’ve previously highlighted what we believe is a scandal (this post is…
-
Tapton House: progress at last
Whilst our views will not be favoured by some members of the local community the Civic Society committee has welcomed the news that the Borough Council is to offer Tapton House and its immediate grounds (but not the park or golf course) for sale on a 999-year lease. This is after two years of trying…
-
Time for a town centre rethink?
The future of Chesterfield town centre is a topic on many people’s minds. But what can be done? Our recent member newsletter looked at the issues at stake and proposed a perhaps radical rethink on its future. We thought we might share our ideas with you in this post. Bad news – 1 There have…
-
Ringwood Hall: a curious planning decision?
The borough council’s planning officers have recently refused an application from the owner of the Ringwood Hall Hotel to convert a derelict kitchen garden some distance from the main house (which is grade II listed) into a spa. We find this decision a little surprising. The kitchen garden is not itself listed and the application…
-
The scandal of Hurst House and the Chesterfield Schools Foundation
In the past we have made repeated references to the failure of Derbyshire county council over many years properly to discharge its obligations as sole trustee of the second largest charity in Chesterfield. Unfortunately this scandal still continues, as we explain in this post. As we have previously explained, there are two unrelated issues here.…
-
Our thoughts on the Chesterfield to Staveley Regeneration Route
The county council recently announced a route for a new road to run from the north-eastern edge of Chesterfield to the north of Brimington, ending at Staveley. At first sight, this scheme might be mistaken for a revival of the age-old plans for a bypass to relieve Brimington and Staveley of through traffic, but it’s…
-
Heritage Open Days progress
We are making steady progress in our efforts to make more of Heritage Week in September. We have a more or less final list of buildings we would like to see opened to the public, and will now write to their owners in the hope that they will able to cooperate. The first to respond…
-
Dunston Hall barn application: our views
The society has made known its views on a recent planning application for the conversation of one of the listed (Grade II) outbuildings at Dunston Hall into a wedding venue. We have carried out an assessment of the necessary planning documents submitted to Chesterfield Borough Council and feel that the building is probabaly quite a…
-
New plaque unveiled
The latest in our series of blue plaques – celebrating buildings and people around Chesterfield – has been unveiled at the University of Derby’s Sheffield Road premises – once St Helena Girls’ High School. The plaque, unveiled on 7 March 2022, marks the former school and its architect George Henry Widdows – recognised as a…
Registered Charity number 507458