The petition is gaining momentum and, if you haven't already done so, I'd encourage you to put on your facebook site and share with friends and family. In the meantime I think you might be interested to read what Historic England, the body tasked with conserving the nation's heritage think about these plans. Their full response is available on the Vale planning portal..... "The early 18th century staircase is ideally located to access all the building's key rooms, with the exception of the ground floor Roysse room, and proposals have therefore been developed to demolish it and replace it with a replica stair which incorporates a lift. The stair is a high quality piece of joinery which has a great deal of architectural value and is an important feature in the building. Because of the way the building evolved in a piecemeal fashion, it is not located in a grand stair hall but that does not in our view lesson its importance given that its high quality reflects its use in a high-status civic building. Its loss would cause substantial harm to the building’s significance. We could not support a proposal entailing this level of harm as alternative options to improve step free access are possible."