Bristol city councillors voted to hand the property to a trust
Ashton Court Mansion(Image: Reach Plc)
Ambitious plans to rescue and revitalise Ashton Court Mansion have taken a huge step forward after Bristol city councillors unanimously agreed to hand over the historic, crumbling venue to a trust.
The continued deterioration of the Grade I-listed building, which the local authority has owned since 1959, would be a ‘tragedy’ and ‘absolute vandalism’, the strategy and resources committee was told.
Members voted to enter into an agreement with Bristol Historic Buildings Trust, which will carry out urgent repairs and draw up detailed plans to create a bright future for the property after it warned the mansion faced a “catastrophic decline” if nothing was done soon.
Its proposals, which include repairing the leaky roof, installing a new heating, hot water and power system, sorting drainage problems, and sprucing up the ground floor rooms which are used for events, would give it a 125-year lease with the council retaining the freehold.
No rent would be charged for the first decade and then 10 per cent of profits would be shared with the authority.
In a statement to the committee, Friends of Ashton Court Mansion (FAM) founder member Tish O’Connor backed the plans and said the group was ‘seeking another kids’ paddling pool to capture more extensive roof leaks’.
She said: “FAM have studied the many decades of council-funded surveys, reports, and searches for a leaseholder.
“We have witnessed the coming and going of council reorganisation and officers with new ideas, various prevarications, and direction changes, never with the flourishing of this ancient building at the heart of decision-making.
“Ashton Court Mansion is on the National Buildings At Risk Register.
“FAM knows the condition is not stable and we have no confidence that this flurry of engagement by the council will be sustained.
“Put bluntly, this Bristol City Council-owned Long Ashton Manor should be leased to a building-centred charitable trust with a vision for sustainable use, able to make a concerted effort at high-quality repairs and restoration, with well-managed finances and a ring-fenced income from mansion events and activities which can be reinvested directly back into the building.”
Cllr John Goulandris (Conservative, Stoke Bishop) told the meeting: “Ashton Court Mansion is part of our heritage, it’s part of our life.
“There’s an old saying – don’t look a gift horse in the mouth – and this is a fantastic opportunity for Bristol.
“It’s rare that you get a not-for-profit organisation willing to put in a lot of time and effort, with a lot of expertise.
“The alternatives in the report are pretty dismal. One is to do nothing, to let this beautiful building collapse. That would be a tragedy, absolute vandalism.
“The second is to find a commercial operator but that may be quite difficult given the condition of the building and I suspect any operator will have their eye on the land, not the building, so the solution we’d get wouldn’t be very satisfactory for Bristol.
“So there is only one show in town – without it, we would be in trouble. I am really excited by this proposition, it’s a great offer and I would like to take it with both hands.”
Cllr Patrick McAllister (Green, Hotwells & Harbourside) said: “Through no lack of goodwill but mainly lack of funds and expertise, this beautiful building has been left to deteriorate.
“Let’s do our due diligence as a council, let’s make sure BHBT has the solid plan and the fundraising schemes they will need to pull off a project of this scale, but they have an excellent track record.
“The sensible thing would be to enter into this memorandum of understanding because this is a really exciting opportunity and you don’t get this opportunity that often – once in 65 years maybe. This would save the council money.”
Cllr Sarah Classick (Lib Dem, Hengrove & Whitchurch Park) said: “I’m really excited about this and it’s great to see something being done about Ashton Court.
“I’m also really pleased about the decarbonisation programme and ensuring the building’s sustainability.”
Council leader and committee chairman Cllr Tony Dyer (Green, Southville) said: “There is a lot of love and affection for this building.
“It’s a massively important part of our heritage.”
He said the authority needed to show “humility”, recognise its limitations, and hand over the mansion to the trust.
Cllr Tom Blenkinsop (Labour, Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston) said: “I still have a number of practical concerns and considerations around this proposal.
“I’m voting yes because I want to see those proposals examined in detail.
“I want to see where we go with this, but there are some unanswered questions.”
After the meeting, BHBT founder Norman Routledge said: “We’re absolutely delighted by the unanimous decision and deeply grateful to councillors for their faith in us.
“This is a vote of confidence not just in the trust, but in the idea that Ashton Court Mansion still has a bright future ahead of it.
“It’s a privilege to begin this journey together with the council and the people of Bristol, working hand-in-hand to bring this remarkable building back to life for the community for generations to come.”
Trust chair and former city council leader Simon Cook said: “This is an incredibly exciting moment for Bristol.
“The council’s support allows us to begin proving that Ashton Court Mansion can thrive again, not as a private development, but as a living, breathing part of the city’s cultural and civic life.”
Once finalised, BHBT’s business plan will be subject to a vote by councillors in four to six months.