Council dismay in vicarage fight

An historic former vicarage in a borough village is poised to be bulldozed after Erewash Borough council lost a battle to save it.

The authority backed angry residents in Draycott by pushing Historic England to list picturesque Ferrestone House – a grand gothic revival residence built in 1875.

The crusade to save it saw the council issue a preservation notice. This acted as a temporary reprieve while Historic England considered whether the building was worthy of listing – which would have meant an application to demolish it could be vetoed.

The public body, which is sponsored by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, has now dashed villagers’ hopes by ruling that the property does not meet its criteria.

A letter from the town hall to residents explains: “The law stipulates that in such circumstances, the Building Preservation Notice must lapse and the property is therefore subject to no special protection.

“Consequently, in light of Historic England’s decision, the council has no alternative but to grant approval for the means of demolition and restoration of the site, which it has done.”

The letter stresses: “The council believes that Ferrestone House has architectural and historic merit.” 

The much-loved building, which stands in extensive grounds, is valued at almost £1.3million.

When the potential demolition was discussed by Draycott and Church Wilne Parish Council the meeting saw its highest ever attendance by the public. Some were described as being “genuinely distressed”.

The parish council said Draycott would be robbed of its character by the loss of a “fine example of gothic revival Victorian architecture”.

The vicarage was sold by the Diocese of Derby in 1961 and was recently advertised with local estate agent Robert Ellis. It used to be the home of Mr Jack Goss, the manager of Long Eaton’s Woolworths.

A tour showing the house’s elegant interior can be see below 

Borough councillor Alex Breene, who is Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said: “The council took swift action following residents’ concerns over the fate of Ferrestone House – but sadly it was in vain. We explored every avenue for preservation and are extremely disappointed by Historic England’s decision. Fine old buildings like this are what make the borough so special and we do not want to lose them.”