Vacant former caravan park re-advertised after 14 years under plans to bring Elvaston estate “back to life”

Elvaston Castle. Photo by Eddie Bisknell.

By Eddie Bisknell – Local Democracy Reporting Service

A vacant former caravan park in a historic Derbyshire country park is being re-advertised for rent after 14 years in an aim to bring the wider estate ‘back to life’.

Derbyshire County Council is re-advertising the four-acre former Elvaston Castle caravan park for rent eight years on from its previous attempt and 14 years on from its closure in 2012.

A caravan park had operated since the 1960s, to the left of the existing main visitor car park but drainage issues ultimately led to its closure and it has been left derelict ever since.

The move from the Reform-run authority is the latest update on plans for the wider 321-acre Elvaston Castle estate since the announcement that an advertised sale, started under the former Conservative administration, had been unsuccessful and subsequently scrapped.

A listing on the county council’s website says the authority is “open to offers”, with no rental fee indicated.

It says: “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.”

A Faceboook post sharing the listing, from the Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust, a charity which helps operate the estate in cooperation with the county council, attracted the interest of Derbyshire’s ‘King of Caravans’, Don Amott.

He wrote that he would “love the opportunity”.

Asked further about his interest by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Amott said: “We would love to be considered when the park comes up for sale.  We are still a family business and 63 years, all our parks are five star and we pride ourselves in customer service.”

He said he would only be interested in the site if it is for sale, not rent, saying “it will need a lot of money to get it to our standards”.

Cllr Rob Reaney, deputy county council leader, said: “The caravan park being reopened is all part of getting Elvaston back on its feet financially. 

“It allows more visitors to stay in the grounds, and they in turn get to enjoy the place, and probably spend more money on site. It’s a win-win for everyone. 

“The caravan park was very popular when it was open before. It’s just the start of Elvaston coming back to life as far as I am concerned. It’s basically a good news story.”

Asked about Mr Amott’s interest, Cllr Reaney said: “It’s not for sale. Don would be welcome to get involved with helping rejuvinating the place in some regard, but we are not selling. We are scoping for a master developer for our main offices in Matlock if Don fancies a bash at a really big project.”

In 2018, the former Conservative county council administration advertised the former caravan park for rent, to be leased to a private company for 25 years.

The unsuccessful 2018 plan was to charge £7,000 a year to rent the park, with the company required to invest £400,000 to bring it up to scratch, with a six-month-free sweetener to encourage a deal.

A council report had said the required maintenance work on the caravan park included a new road, hardstandings, upgraded electrics, and cosmetic improvements to the amenity block.

In November 2024, the former Conservative administration scrapped a regeneration masterplan for 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.

In October last year, Cllr Reaney said his administration was “rolling out the red carpet” for a firm to set up a major film studio in Derbyshire, opposite Toyota’s Burnaston headquarters, and that this package would include a plan to use Elvaston Castle and its grounds to accommodate film crews and actors during their shoots.

Two months later, in December, the council said talks were under way with the castle and gardens trust and the parish council to “restore this valuable heritage asset” for the “enjoyment of all residents”, following its unsuccessful sale, which was then ceased.