Tapton House developers reassure Chesterfield residents they are ‘financially stable’ – promising ‘sympathetic’ plans and public access to park

In December 2022, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet approved the sale of Tapton House, on a 999-year ground lease, to Stone Castle Enterprise Ltd.

The proposals put forward by the developers will see the main house converted into residential accommodation which includes 15 apartments, three townhouses and two bungalows built in place of the annex buildings.

Some residents, however, have raised concerns regarding the council’s choice of Stone Castle as the firm tasked with preserving the Grade II* listed building.

Financial records on Companies House, which are available to the public, show that Joanne Henry – the sole director listed for Stone Castle – has been named as a director for a number of different companies.

There were seven companies of which Joanne Henry was a director at some stage, between 2016 and 2022, that have subsequently ceased to exist.

In May 2017, Ms Henry was appointed as a director of Dapatchi Ltd, a company that had been incorporated in 2014. She was terminated from this role in January 2021, and the firm went into voluntary liquidation in May 2022.

She was also a director of Dapatchi Property Concepts Ltd for a short period in 2016, before the firm was dissolved in July 2022.

On Companies House, Henry was listed as one of the directors for Dapatchi Investments Ltd between 2017 and 2019, Dapatchi Group Ltd between 2017 and 2021, and Dapatchi Developments Ltd between 2018 and 2021. The first of these firms was dissolved in 2019, before the following two ceased to exist in 2022.

Ms Henry was also named as a director, along with others, for two different businesses – Touchstone Online Ltd and Damage Agency Ltd – in 2019. In 2021, her role as director at both companies ended, and they were liquidated in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Residents have contacted the Derbyshire Times to express their worries about the pattern of dissolutions.

Joanne Henry, founding partner of Stone Castle Enterprise, said that as part of the bidding process for Tapton House, the company has already provided extensive financial details to Chesterfield Borough Council.

“Stone Castle Enterprise is a newly established entity which brings together the experience of our various founding partners. We all bring unique insight and skill sets and each have over a decade operating in the industry.

“Being a new entity we have not yet filed accounts. We can however confirm that we have the necessary financial stability and backing to deliver this important project.

“As part of our successful tender package we provided substantial detail of our funding arrangements for the consideration and scrutiny of the vendor and we continue to assist them with their enquiries.”

Discussing the historical significance of Tapton House, Ms Henry said that, going forward, the firm has plans to engage with community groups regarding the inclusion of a small heritage centre at the property.

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“We understand that Tapton House is a building of significant community interest and importance. For this reason, in approaching our tender, we considered many options to protect the building for generations to come.

“The most sympathetic, deliverable, safe and viable proposal – which balances the immediate heritage needs and the long-term sustainability of the building – is the one which we ultimately brought forward.

“Our proposal works with the existing fabric of the building, without intrusive works and does not include new build elements. The lower car parks and the parkland surrounding the house will remain public assets despite reports to the contrary.

“We are working closely with the local authority and intend to engage with the community on a small area of the house which can hopefully be retained as a heritage centre to ensure that the future of the property protects the history which it holds.”

Ms Henry also addressed the concerns raised by residents regarding previous insolvencies – and stressed that the company is aware of Tapton House’s importance to the residents of Chesterfield.

“In terms of comments relating to past insolvency. This was a restructure during the Covid-19 pandemic and was a very challenging time for us, as I am sure it was for others. We have taken deep lessons from this and restructured our business with new safeguards in place for contracts and project management in the event of future national lockdowns.

“This was a once in a lifetime international emergency which has left its impact on many people and businesses. Despite the challenging time we have maintained our drive and commitment to the delivery of our projects. We are proud of our history and our handling of this event.

“Fundamentally, we are experienced developers who are driven by values, understand community and work hard to deliver any project we are involved with. As we progress matters and fully define our plans we will be engaging with interested parties to ensure a good balance is achieved for this important heritage asset.

“On a personal note, I am from a northern market town which has an important building that is similar to Tapton House, which I care deeply about, along with the rest of the town. I therefore understand the concerns of residents and I wish to assure them that our works to the building and its future will reflect the past and its importance to Chesterfield.

“We only ever involve ourselves in projects where we believe we can add value. We want to work with residents and the local community to preserve and enhance this amazing building.”

Councillor Dean Collins, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, also reassured residents that further legal and financial checks form part of the process for the sale of the property.

He said: “Stone Castle Enterprise’s status at this point in time is that of preferred bidder. We will next move to Heads of Terms and then on to Agreement for Lease before finalising the planned leasehold sale of Tapton House.

“In taking these steps, the council will carry out a comprehensive due diligence exercise, which will include the completion of all necessary legal and financial checks.”