Category: Group News

Stage 2 Community Asset Transfer

We have great pleasure to announce that we have received notification, direct from the office of Tameside Council, that we have been invited to progress to Stage 2 of its approved Community Asset Transfer policy. We have now been asked to submit a detailed business case to the Council for review before October.

Obviously, we have to adhere to the councils expectations and requirements if this is to be successful, but this is fantastic news going forward. There will be an enormous amount of work to be completed in the next few months, including researching, bid writing and business planning, also advice & information to receive from a wide range of professionals, who have experience in this type of conservation project, including forward thinking towards sustainability & inclusion.

Everyone in the group is invited to participate with ideas & suggestions, support and help. We will be calling out for specific industry advice over the coming weeks.
Thank you for your continued patience, and we look forward to working with you all as individuals, as well as collaborating with existing community groups & local businesses for participation in this amazing project for our conservatory going forward.

We look forward to receiving your emails into johnnieldconservatory@gmail.com

Conservation Engineering firm Blackett-Ord has this week completed a structural survey of the John Neild Conservatory.

In what can only be seen as a major coup for the group, we have not only managed to receive the backing of this prestigious and award-winning conservation business; we managed to enlist their services to inspect the building ahead of a crucial meeting with Tameside Council on the conservatory’s future.

Based in Liverpool and Cumbria, Blackett-Ord are a multidisciplinary team whose portfolio covers the preservation and conservation of a wide range of buildings; from ancient ruins, listed buildings, historic estates and landscapes.

As part of the conditions set by the council for the structural survey, we cannot publicise any content of the report that Blackett-Ord will produce. We can, however, report the Engineers thoughts on leaving the building…

Whilst the key problem appears to be the materials used during the 1980s restoration, the building is probably has a life expectancy of around 5 years.

The building is not about to collapse, or be blown over in the next winter storm; but we will lose it if we don’t act now.

The process of saving the John Neild Conservatory has many aspects and the Group is working tirelessly behind the scenes in several areas. Hopefully, this news page will help share where we are with current progress. For further information, please follow our Facebook Group .

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The Group has recently had a set-back in their campaign, with the news that Historic England will not be granting Listed Status to the Conservatory.

In their reply, The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has decided not to add the John Nield Conservatory to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. [Read the Historic England response in full]

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION The John Nield Conservatory, which is prominently-sited in the registered landscape of Stamford Park, is not recommended for listing for the following principal reasons: Degree of architectural interest:

• The impact of alterations has compromised the integrity of the original design.Degree of historic interest:
• The connection with John Nield, and the strong communal value, are of local rather than national significance
• Degree of group value: The group value with the registered landscape and nearby listed structures is not sufficient to outweigh the impact of alterations.

Whilst this is a disappointing response from Historic England, obtaining Listing Status was ony one avenue to getting the Conservatory preserved. The report acknowledges the local historic value (undoubted value they say) and goes as far as suggesting that the Conservatory may be registered as a Community Asset instead.

Save Stamford Park Greenhouse Group has been working on the Community Asset registration for some months. The acknowledgement from Historic England that this is a potential solution, can only help our cause.