Derbyshire Times news bulletin 19th March 2025

Derbyshire Times news bulletin with editor Phil Bramley

Transcript

00:00Here's today's Derbyshire Times video bulletin.

00:03Derbyshire County Council has agreed to allocate four million pounds

00:07to appoint specialist consultants as part of plans to sell its Matlock

00:10headquarters and have the building converted into a

00:13hotel, homes or offices. County Hall on Smedley Street is being

00:18presented as a location for a hotel, residential living accommodation,

00:22offices and community facilities with the hopes of bringing new investment

00:25into Matlock and Derbyshire. The Authority's Cabinet has now approved

00:29spending 4.2 million pounds to help cover costs including a

00:33planning application, enabling site work and support for the

00:37procurement process as the Authority seeks a master developer.

00:41County Hall is an iconic Grade II listed building originally built between 1853

00:46and 1886 as Smedley's hydropathic

00:49establishment after Matlock was developed as a spa town

00:52following the discovery of thermal springs at nearby Matlock Bath

00:55in 1698. It sits on a 5.8 hectare site with views overlooking Matlock and the

01:01Derwent Valley and already boasts many period features

01:04including decorative stained glass windows as well as a restaurant,

01:07bar, lounge and meeting places. A husband and wife who have been behind

01:13the bar of a Derbyshire pub for more than a decade

01:16will be closing the bar due to rising costs but say they will be leaving with

01:19their heads held high. Sammy and Daz Kimber took on the

01:23Sycamore Inn in Birch Vale in October 2014 but next

01:27month they will say a fond farewell to their hospitality life. Sammy said

01:32I love the Sycamore with all my heart but you can't run a pub with your heart

01:36you have to run it with your head. We'd rather leave now when we have no

01:39debt and don't owe a penny to anyone than be here for another 5, 10 or 15

01:44years and end up losing money as we struggle to pay bills and

01:47maintenance costs.