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Campaigners who fear the loss of a Chesterfield heritage asset is a ‘done deal’ have called upon supporters to write to the council in one last push to save the Grade II listed property.

At a meeting of the Friends of Tapton House on Thursday, November 24, members pledged to write to Chesterfield Borough Council members to bolster opposition to the plans to lease the historic site for 999 years.

Opening the meeting, chairman Di Treece stated: “The population of Chesterfield is about 104,000 and about 71,000 voters.”

She continued: “When it goes to the next stage the cabinet, they’re going to make a decision for the 104k people in Chesterfield.”

Chesterfield Borough Council announced plans to sell or lease Tapton House back in May 2022.

So far, the group has collected more than 2,600 names on a petition to stop the sale of the property, but member Martin Bruno said at this stage more needed to be done champion their cause.

The friends group’s bid for the house, which included plans for a heritage centre, cafe and forest school, was one of 17 currently being reviewed by the authority.

Richard Prestidge, who used to volunteer at the Barrow Hill Roundhouse, questioned why the council had worked so hard to save the historic engine house and would not do the same for Tapton House.

Members also questioned whether it was possible to get a legal expert to review the agreement made between former owner Charles Markham and the then Chesterfield Corporation that the property be kept in good repair ‘for the benefit of the inhabitants of Chesterfield’, which the council says expired upon the death of Mr Markham.

During a heated debate at the Town Hall last month, deputy leader Councillor Amanda Sergeant said the authority estimated that to run the house itself would leave it with a deficit of £125k a year.

Among the crowd at the friends meeting were a number of former students of the Tapton House School, known as ‘Old Taptonians’.

90-year-old Alan Innes attended the school during the Second World War and could remember the windows being taped up to prevent them from shattering during air raids.

He said the school’s first head master was known as ‘Tubby’ Mellor and was well known for caning students who found themselves in trouble.

Tapton House campaigners fear loss of the Chesterfield heritage asset is a ‘done deal’