Villagers angry at National Trust over the auction of schoolhouse
A VILLAGE in Derbyshire is fighting hard to save its old schoolhouse, which is due to be auctioned tomorrow, leaving the building’s future hanging in the balance.
The schoolhouse has formed a cornerstone of Stainsby for many years, educated many of the residents there and been used by community groups.
Villagers fear that, like many other Victorian buildings, it will be closed, transformed or even demolished.
The school building has been serving the village for around 100 years and for the past 50 years has been a base for the annual Stainsby Festival.
It is currently owned by the National Trust, who want to sell it – a move which has angered villagers, who are accusing the trust of breaking “a promise to the parish council to collaborate on a project to refurbish it as a community hub”.
“It has always been one excuse after another”, says Ann Syrett, chair of the Parish Council. “It’s been impossible to hold constructive discussions despite our very best efforts to engage with them.”
The building has been empty for nine years and is showing signs of deterioration but the Save Stainsby School action group say the parish council has put together a consortium of local groups, including two charities, some small businesses, art projects and other local community groups to offer to lease the building from the National Trust “on a peppercorn rent” and raise the money needed to restore it for community use.
But the National Trust, which also owns the Hardwick estate, has decided to go ahead with the sale of the school.
The council has also offered the trust the market value for the property but that has also been refused, with the building set to go under the hammer tomorrow.
Tony Trafford, chair of Stainsby Festival, a small, not-for-profit, volunteerrun local charity, said: “This is the last remaining property for a community hub and its outbuildings have been a vital operational space for us since the trust ejected us from the school itself some years ago.
“We are at our wits’ end how to proceed.”
Stainsby is a small village close to the Hardwick estate, near Chesterfield, and is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
A spokesperson for the National Trust told the Derby Telegraph: “In 2019, we conducted a thorough review of vacant buildings and Stainsby School, which has been vacant with no defined use for more than ten years, was identified for sale.
“The parish council were made aware of the asset review and informed of its outcome in November 2019. In November 2020, the Trust re-affirmed its decision to sell Stainsby School and delayed the marketing launch to enable the Parish Council to review their position.
“We have fully supported the parish council over many years and continue to liaise with them at regular meetings. While we have considered ideas put forward, we are obliged by law, and our charitable objectives, to get best value when selling assets and the professional advice we have received was that a public auction would be the best and most transparent vehicle to demonstrate this. The parish council and local organisations are able to participate in the auction and we would strongly advise that they do so.
“All proceeds from the sale of Stainsby School will enable us to continue to protect and preserve the Elizabethan Hardwick Hall, gardens and grounds for generations to come.”