Elvaston Castle's hotel plans are delayed because of heritage red tape
Highgate Sanctuary was chosen to take over the lease of the castle by owners Derbyshire County Council four years ago.
The company announced in June that it planned to submit an application to South Derbyshire District Council this autumn, with work hopefully starting next summer and the redeveloped Elvaston Castle Hotel opening in the summer of 2011.
But managing director Dr Tanya Spilsbury said yesterday that the schedule had been delayed because English Heritage, which advises the council on applications involving listed buildings such as Elvaston, was checking paperwork.
She said: "We are still in the pre-planning stage of the application and English Heritage is checking and verifying the repair work costs we have submitted. This is a vital, ongoing part of the process and we don't know at this stage exactly when the application will be submitted."
The repair bill for the castle is estimated at £3m, with annual running costs of £500,000.
Dr Spilsbury said that the current economic climate would not affect the development and that Highgate was still hoping to begin work next year as planned.
Opposition to the development is strong, with the Friends of Elvaston Castle campaign group, formed more than four years ago, fighting to keep the estate in public ownership.
The group believes that, if the development, which includes turning the castle into a hotel and creating a golf course, went ahead, it would harm wildlife, damage important archeological sites and limit public access.
Friends members wrote to organisations across Derbyshire asking them to sign up in support of their aims and have formed the Friends' League of Affiliated Groups.
Ninety groups have already joined, among them Sinfin Running Club, Derby's Hindu Cultural and Welfare Society, Bakewell and District Civic Society and the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire branch of the British Legion.
A Friends spokesman said: "We predict widespread opposition to any planning application.
"The number of organisations supporting our campaign is irrefutable proof that a proper sustainable future for the estate must involve it staying in public ownership. The community demands it."
Derbyshire County Council maintains that public access to the park would not be lost if development took place.
A spokesman said: "Once Elvaston is redeveloped, the public will still be able to use the park. We maintain our long-standing commitment to keeping current levels of public access.
"The golf course will be built on land that is outside the public areas and we believe that, far from the proposals being detrimental for wildlife, they will enhance the wildlife.
"The reason we have chosen a company to take over the lease is that the council doesn't have the resources needed to carry out major repair work."
Addressing the Friends' campaign, Dr Spilsbury said: "We disagree with their statement that our proposals will involve a destruction of public access. We are seeking to increase public access to the estate and castle buildings."
Comment on this story