Preserving public access to one of the most important sites in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) and the most important building in its central hub

Position Statement 31 May 2021

Belper Deserves Better

Time is running out for the Mills site and its historically important Grade 1 North Mill.

Belper, standing in the middle of Derwent Valley World Heritage Site with its historically important Mill Buildings, could become an excellent attraction as part of a complete regeneration plan for the site, but the existing visitor attraction is not world class but second class. Belper deserves better.

The buildings are in a very poor state of repair and, if closed, no public access to the Belper Mills site will be available and the aspiration for Belper North Mill to become the central hub of the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site will be kicked into the long grass, possibly for ever.

Research1 has shown that the best place for a world class visitor attraction for the central hub of the Derwent Valley is at the North Mill. That research shows such a visitor centre could provide a significant contribution to increasing tourism throughout the valley creating jobs and economic growth.

If and the East Midlands is to retain its only UNESCO World Heritage Site, it needs to back the recently produced Management Plan with increased resources.

What a poor message it would give to the world, UNESCO and the East Midlands community if, despite the fine words in the Management Plan, the achievement of a world class venue in the central hub of the DVMWHS was not achieved and that the best location for the venue was no longer an option.

Key Messages

This position statement highlights three key issues:

1. Who Belper North Mill Trust are, what we do and the challenges we face. 2. The importance of the Belper Mills site within the context of the World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) 3. Why is community access to the North Mill and the Belper Mills site at risk?

And to recommend two key actions:

1. For the local Councils to commit to securing public access to the Belper Mills site in the short term whilst the longer term plans for the site develop. The Trust is keen to continue to play a leading role in facilitating this, but if other viable options are preferable we would support them. 2. For the local Councils to commit to consider the findings within the Derbyshire County Council and DVMWHS commissioned “Options for a Visitor Centre at Belper” report and agree a way forward.

Belper North Mill Trust

Who we are and what we do

1 Research undertaken on behalf of Derbyshire County Council and DVMWHS Partnership ‘ Options for a Visitor Centre at Belper’ dated February 2021

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Preserving public access to one of the most important sites in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) and the most important building in its central hub

Position Statement 31 May 2021

The Belper North Mill Trust was established in 1998 as a Company Limited by Guarantee and a Registered Charity. The objects of the Trust are: to advance the education of the public of the industrial heritage of the Derwent Valley with particular reference to Belper North Mill; and the conservation, maintenance and protection for the public benefit of the historical, architectural, archaeological and industrial heritage of the Derwent Valley.

The North Mill and the larger Belper Mills complex, of which it is a part, together with a significant number of other buildings in Belper form the central element of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) which was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2001 as the birthplace of the modern factory system, together with the communities and infrastructure that were developed to support it. The DVMWHS extends from in the south to Matlock Bath in the north, along a 15-mile stretch of the River Derwent.

The Trust runs the Derwent Valley Visitor Centre together with a small independent, accredited museum in Strutt’s North Mill, a former cotton-spinning mill in Belper, Derbyshire. This space is not owned by the Trust but leased from the freeholder on an annual basis.

The Trust is dependent on annual grants from Amber Valley Borough Council and Belper Town Council and these cannot be guaranteed. The Trust acknowledges the support and help we have received and wholeheartedly thank the councils for their financial and officer support in what have been difficult circumstances.

The Trust is predominately run by volunteers and operates with a limited budget and is forecasted to be run at an underlying annual loss, funded through reserves. The continued financial support from its local authority donors, which pays for the rent and service charges is at risk. The current funding model is not sustainable beyond the immediate future.

The implication of a closure of the Strutt’s museum and visitor centre would be a highly undesirable development but the Trust believes it could happen as early as Spring 2022 if remedial action is not taken. The museum attracts over 4,000 visitors in a normal year with an additional 3,500 using the Visitor Centre. Closure would have implications on:

 Future public access to the site  The continued threat to World Heritage Site status for the region  Tourism benefits for the region  Loss of local volunteering opportunities and the wider benefits to general wellbeing from volunteering

For a period starting in late 2020 until recently there appeared to be an opportunity for the Trust, working by itself or in partnership with others, to acquire the freehold of the Grade 1 North Mill (one of the most important buildings in the DVMWHS) and which is recorded as 'at risk' by Historic England. This opportunity has faded as the owner appears to be exploring other options but if it re- emerges then the Trust would wish to engage in discussions with the owner about that possible option and possibly others.

The importance of the Belper Mills to the central hub of the DVMWHS

In the Trust’s view, continued designation as a World Heritage Site will be seriously damaged if community access to the North Mill is not maintained.

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Preserving public access to one of the most important sites in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) and the most important building in its central hub

Position Statement 31 May 2021

All World Heritage Sites are unique and need protecting and the same applies to the DWMWHS. Derbyshire’s Derwent Valley was at the birth of the factory system, saw pioneer industrialists innovate and invent ways of working that changed the world. The DVMWHS Management Plan 2020-2025 emphasises the need for repurposing of historic buildings and the need for world class visitor attractions throughout the valley and also to offer opportunities for developments that help enhance the areas vibrancy and vitality.

Unfortunately the Belper Mills site and those adjacent to it have not yet been an exemplar of that ideal and many buildings have been sadly neglected. The state of the East Mill, North Mill and others have declined year on year – even a modest inspection of the buildings reveals multiple problems – they are not being treated as important historic buildings.

Much of that fault lies with the owners although the economic situation and complexity of the site and absence of an easy solution do make the challenge of redevelopment difficult. A solution needs to be found and the Trust is aware that there is broad agreement with this aim and also that a transformation scheme, backed by appropriate funding needs to be implemented and this needs to be supported by an appropriately skilled project team.

In the short term this needs to embody a plan to secure continued community access to the North Mill either by supporting the Trust or introducing a new approach if that secures a better long term solution.

The Trust has retained a valued presence at the North Mill for over 20 years and knows that it does not yet offer the world class visitor attraction that is needed in the central hub of the DVMWHS to achieve the significant growth in visitor numbers that it deserves.

Recent research commissioned using Great Place funding has shown that the best place for a world class visitor attraction in the central hub would be in the North Mill. The study envisages that with the appropriate investment such a visitor centre could have visitor numbers of c 70,000 per annum and provide a significant contribution to helping the DVMWHS achieve its aims of increasing tourism throughout the valley.

This cannot be achieved without a secure long term residence being in place. Sadly, that is not the case and even continued occupation of the existing space is at severe risk and accordingly so is community access.

Why is community access to the North Mill and the Belper Mills site at risk?

The North Mill itself is on the English Heritage at risk register and despite this no improvements have been put in place and the building has degraded significantly. Development schemes have been put forward but none with proven viability and none have been given planning approval.

The Trust itself cannot promote schemes as it is a short term tenant and its tenure is in constant jeopardy – it struggles to finance its rents and service charges year to year. The existing grants, whilst modest on a national scale, are significant for the bodies that award them and it is their decision where scarce resources are spent and inevitably they have to prioritise statutory obligations before discretionary spending.

The Trust fears that the grants will end either in 2022 or 2023 and without them its activities at the North Mill will end. We have had full support from the heritage bodies that we have spoken to that

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Preserving public access to one of the most important sites in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site (DVMWHS) and the most important building in its central hub

Position Statement 31 May 2021 the Trust or the DVMWHS needs to retain its presence at North Mill. The Trust is on standby to do what it can but is open to other approaches including standing aside to allow others to secure long term tenure of the necessary space for the world class venue that is required. The Trust's concern is not self-preservation but achieving an exciting visitor centre at the central hub of DWMWHS to fulfil the role as envisaged in the Management Plan.

Allowing the North Mill site to be closed to public access would be a backward step for the DVMWHS and indeed, the country. It would suggest that Derbyshire, England and United Kingdom is not willing to step in and protect its heritage and fulfil its undertaking to UNESCO when it was bidding for the DVMWHS to become the East Midlands only world heritage site. The Belper Mills site needs help now to secure what it presently does and to build a platform for the world class venue that it aspires to be.

What a poor message it would give to the world, UNESCO and the East Midlands community if, despite the fine words in the Management Plan, the achievement of a world class venue in the central hub of the DVMWHS was not achieved in the next 5 years. The Trust fears that such a lack of action will endanger the World Heritage status of DVMWHS as well as the other issues that have emerged in the last few years such as the encroachment of further housing into the buffer zone.

The North Mill and the Trust’s problems are pressing and we ask for support in identifying a way forward which, as a minimum, stabilises the situation for the near future until a more permanent solution can be found.

The Board of Trustees Belper North Mill Trust 31 May 2021

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