Recent news that Heathfield House has been put up for sale have emerged on social media. We are happy to give the official version, as social media often give an inaccurate view.
Savills Estate Agents carried a listing for it which has been withdrawn at the Council’s request as it gave incorrect information and did not present the seller’s intentions correctly.
We have been in touch with the Council and have received an immediate update from Cllr Cummings. Here is the true state of play:
The Council is “looking to lease the property to an organisation that will use it for a purpose that has some benefit to residents. This might be on a long lease (such as the 125 years suggestion) or could be a shorter 25-year type lease. This would depend on the business modelling and usage type. We won’t sell the freehold as we would lose control of what can happen onsite.’
‘Examples we would consider are things like: Children’s SEND provision, a weddings venue, boutique hotel. The key here is that people either feel good about what is being done there or they can be part of using it themselves (e.g. the wedding suggestion).’
We are NOT suggesting it could become a private residence. In any scenario access to the public must be maintained.”
The sale applies to Heathfield House and immediate surrounding garden only and the remainder of the Heathfield site including the Ecology Centre would be free for public access.
For the avoidance of confusion, the House and Grounds were purchased by the Council not ‘gifted’ by the Riesco family (the gifting applied only to the Riesco china collection).