Councillors at Nottingham City Council have promised they will create a maintenance plan for Newstead Abbey after the historic building was found to have defects that would cost in the region of £8m to repair.
A report brought before the council’s Executive Board at a meeting on October 22 detailed a five-phase programme to fix the historic building’s “rapidly deteriorating” parts.
Faced with the potential £8,498,886 bill, the council mentioned within the report that they will be seeking grant funding from various sources, which applications have been submitted for and could be confirmed by spring next year.
Two sources of funding, totalling around £1.6m, were already announced earlier this year, from Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
At the Executive Board meeting on Tuesday, councillors unanimously agreed to accept the funding along with five other recommendations listed in the report, including the approval of the urgent repair programme, to authorise the procumerent of contracts to the work programme, to approve additional grant award applications and to consider holding earmarked reserves and donations received by the council to use for the programme in the future.
Presenting the report, Labour Clifton South councillor and executive member for neighbourhoods, waste and equalities Corall Jenkins said: “A failure to act represents a financial risk to the council.”
Councillor Cheryl Barnard said: “(The funding) is really good news. (Newstead Abbey) has really needed some urgent work and its got that significant and cultural heritage.”
But Independent councillor Andrew Rule asked those in charge of the report whether there would be a maintenance plan formulated as part of the programme, suggesting the repairs were pointless if plans were not going to be put in place to prevent the deterioration of the abbey in the future.
He said: “It’s really good news, but once the reinstatement work is completed, I assume there’ll be an ongoing maintenance plan to ensure that it isn’t left until the last minute as it has been this time.”
Affirming that there should and would be a maintenance plan, corporate director for communities environment & resident services, Colin Parr said: “These are heritage assets.
“They require more than just love and care, they require money and resources. to invest in their upkeep. Often, some of the defects are beyond our day-to-day revenue capabilities.
“That’s why I think it’s greatly reassuring that the team have got these positive relationships and have demonstrated in the past and continue to demonstrate their ability to work with partners to draw in investment.”
Since the meeting, another funding source has been confirmed, with Historic England pledging £103,000 towards the job.
Their funding will enable roofing and stonework repairs and support “project development work,” including feasibility studies that will help to inform future funding bids.
Historic England has previously given money to Newstead Abbey, with donations totalling more than £260,000 since 2018.
Newstead Abbey is a Grade-I-listed asset and a scheduled monument which is owned by Nottingham City Council despite being in the north of the county.
It is on the Heritage Risk Register due to decades of repair work being deferred.
The main issue with the building is the roof – which in a 2014 condition survey was highlighted as being in need of urgent repair.
