North Lees Buildings to be let to Vivat Trust

The PDNPA’s Services Committee on Friday 9 March approved the negotiation of a long term lease of all the Listed Buildings on the Estate – North Lees Hall, its East Wing (formerly the farmhouse) and the traditional cruck barn – to the Vivat Trust (an historic buildings charity who are currently tenants of the Hall).

Negotiations will now proceed to conclude a lease and a full press release will be made at that point.

It is envisaged that the Vivat Trust would invest around £1 million in the buildings, which should see them fully renovated and maintained to a high standard for the long term. They would also provide wheelchair accessible holiday accommodation, move their office as a new business to the area and enable community/educational use of the barn.

Henry Folkard (British Mountaineering Council) and Jacque Bevan (Local councillor) spoke to members on behalf of the Stanage Forum Steering Group, under the Authority’s public participation scheme. They were in favour of the lease to the Vivat Trust but concerned that the money received in return for the lease should be ring-fenced for reinvestment in the Estate and to help set up a trust (if needed).

It was agreed that a report will be brought back to Services Committee in June, setting out a timetable for investigating a trust further. Members were not legally permitted to ring-fence the money. However, they will consider bids for capital reinvestment in the Estate alongside other Authority needs, when the capital strategy begins in October this year and look forward to receiving a business case for a trust before too long.

Committee report 9 March (117KB)