Losehill Hall

A national park authority has agreed a sell-off deal that will see learning continue at a historic hall, but with a greatly reduced number of education staff.

The Peak District national park learning centre at Losehill Hall near Castleton will be sold to the Youth Hostels Association, the authority announced today.

It said the deal will ensure education activities continue at the hall, which was put up for sale to save the cash-strapped national park, which has been told by the coalition Government to slash its budget by 28 per cent, up to £250,000 a year.

Losehill Hall formerly employed more than 40 permanent staff, but the deal with the YHA will see only the equivalent of 4½ full time jobs plus 40 casual staff, five fewer than under national park ownership.

But bosses at the Peak District authority insisted the deal would see an expansion in the number of education courses offered. The agreement includes a clause to ensure the building is used as a youth hostel and education and activity centre for a minimum of 20 years, they said.

The deal will eventually see the existing YHA hostel at Castleton close and, following a £2m refurbishment of Losehill Hall, facilities for up to 144 guests opening at the hall.

The plan will also mean the number of young people learning at the hall will increase from 3,000 to 30,000, according to the authority. Its learning and discovery team will continue to use the building as its base.

Christopher Pennell, chair of the authority’s services committee, said: “This enables Losehill Hall to continue as a centre of excellence that promotes understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Peak District national park.

“The partnership with YHA offers opportunities to increase and jointly market a range of environmental education courses. It also ensures that Losehill Hall will continue to play an important part in the life and economy of Castleton and the wider Hope Valley.”

YHA chief executive Caroline White said: “YHA’s vision is to reach out and enhance the lives of young people. We will offer a wide range of learning activities such as environmental understanding and life skills at Losehill Hall.

“We will keep the existing youth hostel in Castleton open whilst Losehill Hall is refurbished over the coming year, giving us time to work with the Peak District National Park Authority to minimise disruption to our guests and neighbours, and to determine the future use of the hostel in Castleton.”

The park authority said the equivalent of 28 full-time posts being made redundant.

Mr Pennell said: “This has been a very difficult decision that has sadly seen some staff lose their jobs but the agreement that has been reached enables us to bring together the experience of our learning and discovery team and the YHA to continue the legacy of the past 40 years.

“We were determined to ensure that the deal we reached with the YHA would meet the second of the authority’s statutory purposes: to promote public understanding of the national park, as well as helping to relieve our financial pressures.”

Authority members made a decision in principle in December to sell the building to the YHA after hearing eight speakers from environmental organisations, the YHA and Field Studies Council, Castleton Parish Council and staff members.

They were also presented with 311 responses to an online public consultation, 150 letters and emails, and a 188-name online petition. In addition a drop-in public consultation at Losehill Hall attracted 30 people.

Most wanted Losehill Hall to continue as an environmental learning centre, and for the local economy to be strengthened.

The Grade 2 listed Losehill Hall, with 41 bedrooms, four training rooms and 27 acres of parkland, was built in 1882 as a private house. It became a holiday and education centre for the Co-operative Society in 1952, and the former Peak Park Planning Board took it over as a national park study centre in 1970.