Ombudsman to investigate sale of 'crown jewel' building

Grade One listed Norwood House was sold to developers who want to turn the former school into offices, despite a long campaign by residents for a national museum and community venue.

On Monday, councillors voted against a planning application by developer Brantingham Group, which would have meant sacrificing most of the garden for a car park.

The trustees of Norwood House Beverley Limited raised concerns about the way in which the sale was handled last year with the Ombudsman. Subsequently their claims were investigated through an internal review process.

A spokesman for the council said the complainants had been sent a detailed response.

He said: "The council did not hear further from the complainants but we have now been notified by the Ombudsman that he has opened an investigation."

The decision to sell Norwood House was taken last March at a behind closed doors meeting of the council's cabinet. The council justified the decision by saying they'd held back for seven years for the charity to bring its plans to fruition – but there had only been limited progress.

NHBL trustee Shan Oakes, which backed a bid by the Buildings at Risk Trust to restore Norwood House as a heritage and tourism venue, said:

"It's clear that people within the council didn't support our

plans and we believe they actually undermined them. We were told that the council would not make its decision purely on financial grounds but they did.

"The Buildings At Risk Trust and the Embroiders' Guild would have brought untold revenue to the area. BART was able to draw in sufficient resources to do up the building without calling on the local taxpayer."

Norwood House, which dates from the 18th century, was used for many years by Beverley High School but was handed back to the council in 2000 when it was no longer needed for educational purposes.

It has since stood empty for several years and is now on the English Heritage list of buildings considered to be at risk.