Villagers fight Trust plan to buy historic cottage
Campaigners have launched a petition opposing the sale of a historic cottage to the National Trust.
Residents in Ulverscroft are against the plans for Stoneywell Cottage, near Markfield, which was built by Leicester-born architect Ernest Gimson for his elder brother, Sydney, and wife Jeanie, in 1898.
The National Trust is in discussions with the Gimson family about buying the property and if it goes ahead, it would open the grade II*-listed home up to the public by February 2014.
It is also planning to build a visitors' car park between Whitcrofts Lane and Priory Lane, and install a ticket office, coffee shop and toilets at the site.
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However, members of the Ulverscroft Residents' Committee say that if the site is made public it will create more traffic and noise and attract about 225 people a day to their small village in peak season.
So far, they have gathered about 50 signatures opposing the plans.
Steve Perry, chairman of the Ulverscroft Residents' Committee, said: "Traffic is already a huge problem in the area. The lanes are narrow and not designed to take a lot of vehicles. About three weeks ago, we had a near-fatal crash when a motorbike was in a collision with a car.
"This is a rural part of Leicestershire and the council would move heaven and Earth to make sure residents couldn't do anything to disrupt the environment. But the National Trust wants to build a car park on a field and it seems like they'll be given the green light. It flies in the face of everything the National Trust stands for."
The group has created a website with information about the project and plans to hang banners in the village.
Fellow campaigner Jackie Trudgill, who lives next door to the cottage, said: "We are totally opposed to the proposed purchase by the National Trust to turn it into a tourist attraction.
"The numbers of visitors a year they are proposing in their correspondence is staggering and unwelcome in such a quiet and private rural area."
The National Trust said it expected the car park would attract an average of about 35 cars at any one time, rising to about 75 at peak times – which it says would be about 20 days every year.
National Trust spokesman Stuart Alcock said: "The trust is very aware of the potential impact our acquisition of Stoneywell and opening it to the public may have.
"From the outset, we have tried to keep residents informed of our plans, listening to views and concerns and addressing these as far as is reasonably possible."
Mr Alcock said the charity would control the number of visitors by operating a pre-booking only system of admission.
A planning application for the scheme is expected to be submitted next year, following the successful sale of the cottage.
To visit the campaign website or to sign the petition, visit:
www.saveulverscroft.com
Comments
by PLYMFOX01
Thursday, October 11 2012, 5:10PM
“I should add that everytone would of course be entitled to have their say.”
by PLYMFOX01
Thursday, October 11 2012, 5:07PM
“So I presume the villagers would rather see this building to to rack and ruin? The local council will have the final say as to whether this gets the go ahead or not.”
by oldhenry
Thursday, October 11 2012, 4:15PM
“I shall donate to the NT at once to get this opened and the NIMBYs can go and live in Beamont Leys , or someplce else that already has visitors.
We want to see this fine example of Arts and Grafts design , why should it be for a priviliged few?
The NT does afine job in saving the historic houses for teh nation but , of course, has to have visitors otherwise the saving would be pointless.
The house will not be open 24/7 , it is not a Macdonalds you know- although I doubt Ulverscroft residents know what a Big Mac is!”
by lexus99
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 2:43PM
“Anon66 must live on another plane if they think that taking a beautiful rural setting and replacing with a carpark, coffee shop, ticket office and toilets to take an esitmated 35000 visitors a year on roads that were designed for horses and carts. Next the National Trust will be holding fun days with bouncy castles and know doubt put a childrens play area on the property itself in the hope they can maintain the upkeep
Other properties in the area have been built by the Gimson family but of course any detriment to these is not of any consequence to the commercial venture that is Stoneywell.”
by Silverspeed
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 2:08PM
“Anon 66 I think you need to study the NT manifesto to realise the potential impact . As NT members we have noticed a significant move from conservation to commercialism. To bring 35000 car movements per annum in to an area of single track roads where farmers already have access issues is not in the environmental interests of Ulverscroft. The ramblers,cyclists and horseriders and people who use the Shuttleworth foundation enjoy Ulverscroft for calm and peace not noise and fumes . The idea of putting a car park on a field that was gifted to the NT for 'protection' is also morally wrong. It was gifted to conserve it as it is. Unfortunately its all about money and the cottage and 16 acres will become a 'tourist' attraction not a property conserved for future generations. Why mortgage Ulverscoft and its surroundings to conserve a building thats already listed? The property has a grade 2 star listing which protects it for future generations.”
by Anon66
Tuesday, October 09 2012, 12:16PM
“Good luck to the National Trust in buying this property for the Nation.
Having visited many of the smaller Trust properties and seen how they get on with their neighbours, I do feel that the reaction of the Ulverscroft Residents' Committee is somewhat overdone.
I'm sure that if the plans go ahead and when the dust has settled, the villagers will wonder what all the fuss was about.”