Chesterfield council to temporarily close historic Revolution House and alter Assembly Rooms’ use

The Labour-controlled council agreed to the changes during a cabinet meeting on Monday, February 5, as part of its Budget Implementation Plan to balance its forecast budget deficit of £4m for the 2024-25 financial year.

Cabinet Member for Town Centres and Visitor Economy, Cllr Kate Sarvent, stated that no one wants to have to address these issues but she feels the changes are the best way forward after identifying thousands of pounds of estimated losses involved in the running of the buildings.

A council spokesperson stated: “The proposals have been brought forward to respond to the savings targets identified in the Budget Implementation Plan, which was approved in November 2023.

“This will enable the council to work towards developing a balanced 2024-25 budget and Medium Term Financial Plan.”

The cabinet discussed the new arrangements to be introduced for the historic Revolution House, at Old Whittington and the community centres including Hasland Village Hall, at Eastwood Park, Chesterfield, and The Assembly Rooms, at Chesterfield Market Hall.

Councillors voted in favour of the temporary closure of its Grade 2 listed 17th century Revolution House from April 1 until an alternative arrangement can be put in place to run the building and it should be allocated to a suitable organisation in the future to support its conservation as an historical asset.

Revolution House was open for 23 days during 2023 and there were approximately 1,700 visitors with no admission fees and it operated with a financial deficit of approximately £8,000, according to the council, and the forecast deficit for the current financial year is £7,000 and this does not include the employee costs.

The building is also scheduled to have repairs to the thatched roof and once the work has been completed it will be temporarily closed from April 1 until a suitable alternative approach to its running has been put in place that supports the council’s budget savings requirement.

Chesterfield Borough Council approved plans for the future ‘disposal’ of Revolution House to a suitable organisation to support its conservation and the terms of the disposal are to be determined by the potential future owner or operator and could involve a freehold sale, a long lease arrangement or community asset transfer.

Opposition Liberal Democrat Councillor, Paul Holmes, argued the council is missing an opportunity for Revolution House to be used to display exhibits which are currently in storage while the town’s Stephenson Memorial Hall remains temporarily closed and that more should be done to increase interest in the historic building.

Following the meeting, Cllr Holmes said: “Closing down Revolution House in Old Whittington is a particularly strange choice.

“It opens for only 23 days a year and loses or costs just £8,000. With the Stephenson’s Hall museum mothballed for three years for renovations, Revolution House offers an ideal opportunity to display some of Chesterfield’s heritage which is currently locked away in store rooms. As was done recently with the excellent Joseph Syddall exhibition.

“Instead, Labour councillors are closing down and looking to ‘dispose of’ a historic building which is of national importance due to its role in the 1688 Revolution.”

Cllr Holmes questioned the Labour-led council’s value for Chesterfield’s heritage citing the authority’s recent sale of railway pioneer George Stephenson’s final home Tapton House.

The Cabinet also approved that alternative operational arrangements are to be devised for the running of Hasland Village Hall so that the premises can be provided to the community without requiring an operational subsidy, and that the building can be let for certain uses without the requirement for a council employee to be on site.

Councillors have authorised officers to progress with a community asset transfer process for Hasland Village Hall with discussions with residents and community organisations about its future to be part of the process.

Despite Hasland Village Hall being used on average approximately 5 hours per day with approximately 19,000 visitors during 2023, it operated with a financial deficit of approximately £32,000 in 2022-23 and the forecast deficit for the current financial year is about £24,000.

In order to reduce the financial deficit of the operation and to achieve full cost recovery, the council aims to reduce expenditure and increase income.

This is expected to involve an increase in hire charges, not having a caretaker on site at all times, and for regular users to be armed with a phone number for emergencies and a key.

The cabinet also approved the ceasing of the letting of The Assembly Rooms to external parties as from June 30 or earlier and officers are to provide guidance about alternative facilities for the community groups who have been hiring the Rooms.

In addition, councillors authorised officers to advertise The Assembly Rooms for commercial letting, and to develop terms to establish appropriate lease arrangements to help generate sufficient rental income to cover the costs of providing and maintaining the premises.

For example, York and Norwich Assembly Rooms are operating as restaurants and in Lancaster they are operating as an emporium with eight different stalls, according to the council.

The council pointed out that the Assembly Rooms hall was used on average approximately 1.3 hours per day, and there were approximately 3,100 visitors during 2023 but in 2022-23 the Assembly Rooms operated with a financial deficit of approximately £54,000 and the forecast deficit for the current financial year is £55,000.

Cllr Sarvent said: “The Assembly Rooms are a fabulous set of rooms but everybody acknowledges they are under-used.”

Chesterfield Borough Council has anticipated that the potential savings with the introduction of changes for Revolution House, Hasland Village Hall and The Assembly Rooms for 2024-25 will be £26,280 and for 2025-26 will be £83,230.

The council has stated it is imperative to focus on minimising costs and maximising appropriate income opportunities while, like many other councils, it is facing financial challenges from high inflation, uncertain Government funding, the cost of living crisis and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.