Council set to vote on demolition of Teversal Grange Country Inn

An extraordinary meeting of Ashfield district Council Charities Committee has been recommended to approve the demolition of the former club and restaurant which has remained boarded up after previous occupants left it with significant debts.

The move has caused controversy, with a councillor launching an online petition to save the building, saying not enough has been done to explore new uses for it.

The demolition would include a temporary building to include changing facilities, showers and a tea room to accommodate the cricket club.

The report to the committee says a suitable trustee for the building has not been found and mothballing it will cost the authority more than £35,000 a year.

A report to Ashfield District Council Extraordinary Charities Committee said the Grange had deteriorated so much it would need significant investment to bring it back into its previous use.

The eventual aim is to provide the facilities permanently in a new structure depending on the level of external funding which can be achieved.

The charities commission will support 30-year leases for the cricket, football and bowls clubs and the visitor centre, which would be needed for them to submit future funding bids.

The sports clubs have welcomed the proposal. Pete Cockerill, Chair of Teversal Football Club said “We are delighted that with our lease we will be able to take the site forward into the future.”

Together with Barry Chambers, Secretary of Teversal Bowls Club, he released a joint statement saying “although we are sad to see that the Grange will be demolished, we recognise that in the present difficult economic climate, it would be unreasonable for Council Tax payers to spend large sums of money to restore the building. We are delighted with this development and believe that working together, we can bid for crucial funds to develop new community sports facilities in Teversal.”

Councillor Jim Aspinall, Portfolio Holder for Prosperity, who took up the case on behalf of the clubs said: ”Although the proposals still have to be formally approved I am delighted that the clubs and the hard working volunteers, who are all passionate about the site, will now be able to develop new facilities for their clubs, with the funding they will be able to call on from the Football Foundation and Sport England.”

However Coun Jason Zadrozny has mounted a campaign to save the building with an online petition.

Coun Zadrozny said: “The tendering process was started about a year ago and there were more than ten different applicants expressing an interest.

“Teversal FC told me they had submitted a bid.

“The council say nobody can possibly take it on and nobody is interested.

“But I think potential people can be frightened by the prospect of business rates. The council could choose not to charge business rates if a charity takes it over or rent for a period. As long as overheads are covered, to give it a fighting chance. The process went on behind closed doors and they did not show the councillors the tenders.

“They have to at least try before they put the wrecking ball through it.

“When it is bulldozed the council will never have the money to rebuild it. I think they owe it to the people of Sutton not to write it off straight away.”

See the petition at http://www.petitions24.com/save_teversal_grange_from_demolition