Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Barleythorpe Hall, Barleythorpe, Rutland, Secret Bids, Innes England, Rutland County Council, has it sold?

Barleythorpe Hall was a home of Lord Lonsdale

Barleythorpe Hall Home for Babies, Oakham

Oakham, Rutland, Leicestershire
(1941 - 1947)
Barleythorpe Hall Home ran for the duration of the Second World War and up until 1947. In 1941 residents were evacuated to the Home from St Gregory's Home for Babies, Plymouth, Devon. In 1947 residents moved to Milton Lodge Home for Babies, Gillingham, Dorset.

and later an elderly person's home (until 2006)

Rutland County Council have permitted the destruction of an important part of Rutland's history.

I obtained a email under freedom of information, that email showed that Tory Deputy Leader was
a little upset with my interest in saving Barleythorpe Hall.

Back in 2011 just before the election, the Tories carried out what as described as a spring clean by the
cabinet.

Many Museum items were disposed of,  with advice from the then Tory Councillor and local antiques expert Peter Jones. No one knows how much cash was made for Rutland County Council from the disposal
of this public property.

Terry King Pushed through the sale of Barleythorpe Hall, saying no strings should be attached making it
possible to achieve a quick sale.

A search of the Hall on Rutland County Councils website reveals no details relating to the proposed
sale.

It has been pointed out to me Innes England marketed the property earlier this year. They requested
secret bids. the date has passed for submission of bids, the company is refusing to say if the property
has been sold.

It is no surprise a large proportion of Rutland residents shout corruption when Rutland County Council
handles public property.

Why the secrecy Rutland County Council?





Email received from Barleythorpe resident:

Hi Martin

Regular reader of your blog, keep up the pressure..never know one day you might make an honest lot out of them J

The attached is the sales PDF for Barleythorpe Hall, I find it interesting as I live in Barleythorpe and never saw a for Sale sign. BUT more interesting is it is now 2 months since the close of bids and I am trying to find out if it was sold and if possible who too, (save the expense of a search of the Land Registry) . Council says call Chris Sinclair from Innes England and won’t say if it has been sold or not and I supposedly spoke to a senior person in Land and Property section. Chris won’t return my phone call and his office and secretary cannot tell me if it is sold. I find this perplexing as any other property sale I have enquired over the years (non council) the answer has been instant and anyone at the agency could answer.

Is this another council hide all???

My betting is it was sold to Larkfleet or one of their subsidiaries for next to nothing and the reason it wasn't marketed and an outside Agency was given the task to sell it is that the council is up to its normal tricks.

See what you can dig up.

Cheers #########


I agree with the writer why is no one willing to answer a simple question has it been sold?
It's a power thing here in Rutland, I remember Cllr Joyce Lucas sitting smirking at a town council meeting
when the pub change of use came up, "I know who is buying it" and looking at me she said 
"I am not saying" the daft Cllr forgets we can all pick up the phone and ask people questions,
she does really make herself look daft.