Council set to grant Duke and Duchess of Northumberland £8.5m for 'elfic' play village

[Mark Brown]

Independent county councillor Steven Bridgett said: “I do not see why the taxpayers of Northumberland should be directly burdened by giving further funding to a project that could quite easily be funded by Alnwick Castle and Northumberland Estates."



Council set to grant £8.5m loan for 'elfic' play village on Duke and Duchess of Northumberland's land 
by Stephen Walter, The Daily Telegraph
17 February 2017
Ref: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/17/council-set-grant-85m-loan-elfic-play-village-duke-duchess-northumberlands/

A charity behind a garden attraction on land owned by the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland is set to receive an £8.5million council loan to build an “elfic” play village by the family’s castle.

Labour-controlled Northumberland County Council hope to lend money to Alnwick Gardens  to boost the local economy.

It was redeveloped in 1997 by the Duchess Jane Percy, 58, after her husband, the 12th Duke Ralph Percy, 60, ploughed £9million into the venture. They are the country’s fifth largest landowner and have a £365million fortune - making them richer than the Queen.

But the loan has drawn fierce opposition from outraged councillors at a time when £6million of cutbacks to public services are planned for this year.

Independent county councillor Steven Bridgett said: “I do not see why the taxpayers of Northumberland should be directly burdened by giving further funding to a project that could quite easily be funded by Alnwick Castle and Northumberland Estates.

“It would appear, however, that feudalism is alive and well in Northumberland."

It comes at a time when the council has to make an additional £30million of cuts over the next three years.

A spokeswoman for Northumberland Estates, on behalf of the Duke and Duchess, said: “The Alnwick Garden is a charity and as such totally independent from Northumberland Estates.

"That said Northumberland Estates fully supports this exciting new project which has the potential to bring huge benefits to Alnwick and the local economy, benefits obviously recognised by the Council.”

The plan is to build an "elfic play structure with an unearthly, quirky and magical atmosphere" which will be called the Lilidorei Play Village.

A source who has seen the plans said small buildings will be built into the earth and underground in scenes reminiscent of The Hobbit.

They added: “It’s something children will go to with their parents and feel like they are in the film.”

The settlement is understood to include a complex play structure, small “Arctic and Russian” style wooden cabins, a café, tavern, shops and an area for storytelling activities.

Mark Brassell, CEO of the Alnwick Garden, said: “This will be an international attraction to the UK and our region, bringing tourism, jobs, significant secondary spend and a measurable boost to the local economy.

"The Alnwick Garden is a non-profit making, hard-working charity which has generated over £236m for the regional economy since it opened.

"Any NCC funding will take the form of a loan and not a grant. Rest assured we will share everything as soon as we can."

The council will have to borrow the money first and a decision is expected next week.

Council leader Grant Davey said: "We want to be clear the loan will not impact on the services the council provides and once Lilidorei is open to the public  and generating income, the loan will be repaid in full over a 15 year period."

The Duke's daughter, Lady Melissa Percy, married Thomas van Straubanzee, a close friend of Prince William and the godfather of Princess Charlotte. William and Prince Harry attended the 2013 marriage, which ended in divorce last year.

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