The Friends have proposed that one option to be considered by the Feasibilty Study currently undeway to find suitable end-uses for the house, is multiple use. This could ensure a sufficient income stream into the future to support the building. The proposal is reproduced below.

If you have practical and financial experience of restoring and running a building like Poltimore, we would love to hear from you. Please email or ring.

It is unlikely that one single outside organisation will come forward with a comprehensive plan to tackle both the restoration and the provision of a sufficient income stream to sustain the House and Grounds post restoration. The prime objective of the Feasibility Study must be that the restoration enables end uses that will ensure future financial viability.

How the restoration is done and what is restored, rebuilt, adapted or demolished, will depend on the end uses adopted. It therefore seems to the Friends that there is a need to take into account, as one of the options of the Feasibility Study, a future strategy that will include both the requirement to restore the House and Grounds and allow the creation of the income required to secure the future.

• A sound income stream is the crucial element for the whole project. Restoration stands or falls on this one issue.
• The Friends do not believe that a commercial programme can succeed if it is saddled with the large capital building restoration and refurbishment costs nor interest costs.
• Development must ensure that a “multiplicity of uses” is possible to support future income.
• Restoration should broadly restore the various parts of the House to their original time frames.
• The House will need to be run as a business, professionally managed
• The structure of the Trust Company will need to be able to support the end uses. The structure and objectives must allow the widest uses and funding opportunities.
• It is essential that a robust and transparent Business Plan, which clearly demonstrates financial viability, is prepared to support the proposals. This will be vital to support funding applications from all sources.
• Whilst this is a plan for now, flexibility in design and layout of the restoration will ensure that future, currently unknown, opportunities are not thwarted and lost.
• There is an essential future role for the Friends both supportive and practical
• The relationship between Friends and Trust will form an integral part of the Business Plan
• Use by the Community in the area of benefit should be included in the plans
• There must always be public access to the building and grounds

Broad Building Requirements

In order to facilitate and accommodate the suggested activities, a number of broad concepts are proposed:

• Restoration of the individual parts of the building to their original state ie., Tudor, 17th c, 18th c, 19th c, 20th c. This will create the ambience that will be needed to support some of the proposed uses.
• Refurbishment will require original furnishings and decoration.
• We should not be afraid of adding a 21st c element to the building
• The ballroom wing must be restored for use
• Sufficient catering facilities must be provided for the maximum use envisaged
• A number of smaller spaces will be needed to provide variety of choice
• Conversion of surplus attic space to Holiday Flats
• Conversion of surplus space to Office accommodation
• New-Build or conversion to provide Holiday Cottages Accommodation for on-site, live-in staff
• Provision of sufficient services – electricity, water and sewage
• Less-abled access
• Phasing – it may not be advisable to phase the work for both practical and business reasons

Potential Commercial Uses

• Weddings
• Indoor Events
• Outdoor Events
• Restaurant
• Guided Tours, House and Gardens
• Conference Centre
• Dinners & Dances
• Exhibitions
• Hire of Facilities
• Concerts
• Plays & Other Theatrical Entertainments
• Plant/Garden Centre
• Gift and Souvenir Shop
• Farm Shop
• Starter Business Units
• Business Units
• Offices
• Interpretation Centre
• Car Boot Sales
• Specialist Plant Sale Events
• Holiday Flats
• Holiday Cottages
• Centre for walking, riding and other country activities
• Book Publishing, Maze
• Non Commercial Uses
• Community Use of facilities eg., coffee mornings, research and study facilities
• Technical facilities
• Training courses eg., in restoration crafts

Archives and Research – possible topics are

• Estate records & family history related to the social setting
• Plantings through the ages
• Building materials and methods
• Drainage
• Domestic building design
• Social structures and their development
• Decorations, furnishings, dress and clothing
• Cataloguing