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Roman site will be sold due to lack of funding
ONE of the country's most important Roman town sites will be sold off after being branded "surplus to requirements" by Northamptonshire County Council.
Chester Farm, near Irchester, will be sold off because the council does not have enough money to improve and safeguard the area.
The site, which includes a listed ancient monument, farm buildings dating back to the 16th century and a Grade II listed building, was bought by the council for 1.2m from the Government three years ago when Labour was in control of the authority.
The council said the land would only be sold to a buyer who could secure the preservation of the site's outstanding historic environment in the long-term.
The authority will also reinvest the money from the sale into the site, which it hopes would cover it against the risk of the Government wanting back its original grant.
Councillors ruled on the farm's future at a meeting of the county council's cabinet yesterday.
At the meeting, Ian Nunney from Wellingborough Museum told councillors: "It's a site of national importance, not only because it has a Roman town to the east but because there is a Saxon settlement and evidence of pre-Roman occupation. Part of the site has already been damaged by extensive building.
"From the point of view of Wellingborough Museum, we would love to take the site on but obviously, as a charitable trust, we haven't the finances.
"If the county council would like to hand it over to us we would be quite happy to take the site on."
Chairman of Wellingborough Civic Society Judith Thompson said: "There must be interested groups which can get together to apply for lottery funds."
Cllr Ben Smith said: "This is an important site of great architectural status and costs are incurred to preserve and maintain that important situation. The county council doesn't have any money, how many times do we have to say that?"
Cllr Andre Gonzalez De Savage said: "Anyone who expresses an interest can develop a tender and submit it."
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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