Former Derbyshire caravan site could come back into use after more than a decade

An aerial view of the former Elvaston Castle caravan site. Image from Google.

A former Derbyshire caravan site could come back into use after more than a decade.

The four-acre former caravan site at Elvaston Castle, close to the historic estate’s main visitor car park, has been vacant and is becoming increasingly overgrown since its closure 14 years ago.

Since the 60s locals and tourists had been making the trip to the estate’s caravan site, until it came to a close in 2012.

An unsuccessful attempt to reopen the site was made in 2018 under the previous Conservative administration on Derbyshire County Council, which owns the 321-acre estate.

In March, the current Reform UK administration chose to reattempt the move, but with no public detail provided on the price, length or terms of the lease – just that it was for rent and strictly not for sale.

Now the Local Democracy Reporting Service can share that the authority is in “advanced negotiations” with a potential tenant for the derelict facility.

Councillor Carol Wood, the county council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We have signed an agreement with Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust and Elvaston Parish Council to work together in partnership to manage and develop the estate.

“Cabinet has also agreed to increase the funding we provide to the trust from around £28,000 a year to £50,000 a year for five years which means it will allow the Trust to expand its work further.

“This will provide greater certainty for future planning and strengthening the ability of the Trust to secure external funding for the estate to help maintain and improve the much-loved landmark for visitors and local communities.

“The caravan park forms part of the estate. We marketed the site earlier this year to find a suitable operator and we are in advanced negotiations with a potential tenant.  The outcome will be announced in due course.”

Since coming into office, Reform UK has seen out an attempt started from the Conservative administration to sell the 321-acre Elvaston Castle estate both through community groups – via the asset of community value process – and on the open market, with no bidders.

Following this unsuccessful attempt the sale was scrapped and the council has since looked to firm up its partnership with the organisation managing the day-to-day of the estate on its behalf.

When the caravan site was marketed for rent in March, the listing said: “Prime commercial opportunity within a nationally significant heritage landscape, attracting high-quality leisure operators, holiday park groups and glamping developers capable of delivering a sensitive, high value reopening of the site.

“A cleared, undeveloped plot, the site provides a rare blank‑canvas opportunity in a historic setting enjoyed by year‑round visitors. 

“Its secluded, woodland‑framed position makes it ideally suited to sensitive leisure, wellbeing, nature‑based or visitor‑focused uses that complement the park’s character, while benefiting from a strong local and regional catchment just south‑east of Derby and close to Nottingham.”

This attracted the interest of Derbyshire’s “King of Caravans”, Don Amott, but for sale not for rent. This was ruled out by then deputy leader Cllr Rob Reaney, who instead invited him to bid to be master developer for the regeneration of County Hall in Matlock into a hotel.

The Conservatives’ 2018 bid to relaunch the caravan site had been for a 25-year lease at £7,000 a year, with the successful company required to invest £400,000 to bring it up to scratch. There was even a six-month free sweetener to encourage a deal.

In November 2024, the former Conservative administration scrapped a regeneration masterplan for the estate that it had been working on for years, due to costs hitting £50 million.

Costs to the council are now £800,000 per year, with the estate bringing in £400,000 annually – leaving a gap of £400,000 – with most of the cost being on staff to run and maintain the site.

Alongside this is a raft of repairs and maintenance that runs into the millions of pounds, with the council now only committed to “critical” work “to arrest decline” and that which is required to uphold safety for visitors and staff.