Nottingham Castle: Landmark's future to be decided by June

Nottingham City Council has until June to determine the future of Nottingham Castle.

The landmark has been closed since the Nottingham Castle Trust handed it back to the council after going into liquidation in November.

The council has said it is not able to give an update on when it may reopen.

A government-appointed improvement board, which is monitoring the council, said it has to make a decision on the landmark's future by 30 June.

The board, which has the power to both advise and direct the council towards financial and operational stability, has listed dozens of instructions which the local authority must follow to avoid further intervention.

One of the orders focuses on the future of the castle, which has cost the authority £593,000 since its closure, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

These costs come in the form of utility bills, insurance and lost income due to a concession agreement with the trust.

Councillor Kevin Clarke, said: "The portfolio holder told us at the last council meeting we'd know by the end of January when the gates were opening, we are in March [soon] and still nothing.

"It is unacceptable that our main tourist attraction in this city is closed."

Tom Unterrainer, of the Open the Gates campaign group, said he was "alarmed" by the move.

He said: "After all this is our heritage, our castle, it is our land and the fact they had to close the gates, not just with little notice but no notice, really, struck a huge blow against the people of our city."

The council does not expect a return on loans associated with the castle, which total £2.68m.

Previously speaking of the castle's closure, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning, Pavlos Kotsonis, said: "We know the significance of the castle for our city so this is a top priority and something we have a skilled and senior team working on, tackling it with pace and rigour - but it is vitally important that we get it right for Nottingham."

The instructions will be formally noted at a full council meeting on 6 March.

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