Offers open for redevelopment of historic Ollerton Hall

The future of the historic, Grade II-listed Ollerton Hall is once again in the balance, as the planning authority are accepting offers to redevelop the hall.
Ollerton HallOllerton Hall
Ollerton Hall

A number of offers have been received by Newark and Sherwood District Council to redevelop the hall, which was bought back by the council in 2016.

The council has undertaken repair and renovation work to ensure the building is weatherproof, and put it back on the market in January this year.

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The 300-year-old property has been unused and regularly changing hands for almost 20 years, with the hall and 0.76 hectares of land acquired in the late 1980s by the Sue Ryder Foundation for conversion to a residential care home.

Ollerton HallOllerton Hall
Ollerton Hall

In 1990, the building was re-roofed, but the remainder of the repairs and conversion works were never completed and it was eventually bought by the district council.

The hall then fell into disrepair and remained vacant, but under the original terms of the sale, the district council were able to buy-back the hall for £1 in 2003.

The Grade II-listed hall was built in the 1700s, but last used in the 1960s as a hostel and was put on the at-risk register drawn up by Engligh Heritage in recent years.

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It was taken on by Pullan Homes in 2007 and the work was completed to make the building structurally sound.

However, after work began on the hall in December 2007, concerns were raised as to whether development being carried out was in accordance with approved plans.

A letter was sent to Mr Pullan issuing a temporary stop notice in 2008, and site visits by officers confirmed works on Ollerton Hall were continuing despite the notice being served.

Mr Pullan admitted to breaching the temporary stop notice at Worksop magistrates' court and was subsequently fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £800 costs.

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The council said arbitration on the buy-back clause ruled the Hall should be transferred back to the local authority.

The council is now open to offers to lease the hall, and offers are currently being assessed on the basis of price, acceptability of proposed use, track record of the company seeking to development, and evidence of finance.

Newark and Sherwood District Council hope to provide a full update as and when terms are signed with the chosen developer, which is expected to be in October 2019.