Swinton South Liberal ————

After a long and bitter battle between the community and Salford Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund has finally sided with the community and rejected the Council’s bid for a £3million `Parks for People’ grant.

At the centre of the fight was John Wilkinson’s plan to install a four star 93 bedroom hotel within Buile Hill Park’s listed mansion building, formerly owned by the people of Salford. Against local public opinion, Wilkinson was given planning permission for the hotel. And Salford Council submitted the bid to restore the park with the hotel at its centre.

Critics argued that the restoration would merely enhance the hotel from which the public would be excluded, and letters and petitions were sent to the Lottery urging it to reject the Council’s funding application. Now the Lottery has accepted the arguments put forward by critics, including Claremont Community Association.

“Whilst we recognised the historical importance of Buile Hill Park to both the local community and Salford, we had concerns about how the development of a hotel within the park would impact on its character” says Sara Hilton, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund North West “There is a high level of competition for our money and unfortunately we were unable to support this particular application.”

Lib Dem Councillor Mary Ferrer, who led the opposition to the hotel, is pleased that the community’s arguments were taken on board.

“I am actually glad that somebody has listened to what the people of Salford wanted” she says “We didn’t want a hotel in a park, but because the Council wouldn’t listen to other options we have now lost the Lottery bid. If we would have worked together we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in today.”

Now it’s hoped that Wilkinson will back away from the project and the mansion will be given back to the people of Salford as a community resource.

Meanwhile, in a report to the Lead Member For Environment, dated 30th March 2009, Salford Council estimated that it would cost £72,685 in fees and surveys if the bid failed…

as Media City, the number of people requiring high quality hotels will expand…’
Extract from planning panel notes