Plans are afoot to bring a new lease of life to the historic Norwood Grove mansion and grounds maximising their potential as a major heritage and environmental asset for the borough.

Owned by Croydon Council,, the eighteenth century mansion is a grade ll listed building and the grounds (comprising nearly 14 hectares) are included on English Heritage's register of parks and gardens of historic interest.

Previous owners of note have included the fourth Duke of Portland (a leading Victorian politician) and Arthur Anderson who founded the P&O shipping line.

Now the local authority is preparing a conservation plan to help revitalise the site.

With the assistance of a teaching pack it is proposed that the park ranger at Norwood Grove will help promote use of the park by schools and local groups encouraging them to explore its natural history and contribution to local heritage.

In addition council officers have had an encouraging initial meeting with the Heritage Lottery Fund and next spring are looking to submit a bid for some £1.5 million to help restore many of the historic features in the grounds and mansion, as well as to improve access, parking and toilet facilities.

The spectacular ground floor of the mansion is shared by the Norwood Grove Bowls Club, a pre-school playgroup and a social club, though existing facilities are outdated with limited capacity and cannot adequately meet all the groups needs.

It is hoped that by addressing the present and future requirements of these groups and the local community through the conservation plan, greater use will be made of the mansion itself.

Croydon Council is initially involving the user groups in shaping the plans for the future of the building, with further consultation including local groups and individuals in the New Year.

If the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund is successful, restoration work on the grounds and mansion could start as early as winter 2002.

Said Croydon's cabinet member for cultural services, Councillor Raj Chandarana: "Norwood Grove mansion and grounds have a great contribution to make to the borough's heritage and so it's vitally important that we seek to preserve and enhance them for future generations."

December 20, 2001 10:00