Plans for old West Sussex country estate approved
The plans for the Lydhurst Estate consist of a cookery school, yoga studio, holiday lets and two swimming pools
Plans to breathe new life into an old country estate – creating dozens of jobs in the process – have been approved by Mid Sussex District Council.
An application to change the use of many of the buildings on the Lydhurst Estate, in Warninglid, was given the nod by the planning committee on Thursday (May 19).
Applicants Adrian and Amber Baillie have been working to bring the plans forward for four years.
They involve:
- A conversion, extension and change of use of the stables building – along with improvements in the walled gardens – to create a cafe/restaurant, and kitchen garden
- The conversion, extension, replacement and change of use of estate yard buildings to form a wellness centre including treatment and beauty rooms
- There will also be ‘activity spaces’ for a yoga studio, fitness studio, cookery school and arts and crafts classroom
- The refurbishment and extension of the main house to provide holiday let accommodation
- New holiday let homes on the site of the Dutch Barn
- Two outdoor swimming pools
- A children’s play area, and
- An area of hard-standing to provide car parking.
Mr Baillie, who has lived in the village all his life, said: “We are trying to keep and preserve what is here for the future whilst hopefully sharing it just a little bit more widely.”
The council received 50 letters of objection to the plans, with fears about increased traffic high on the list of concerns.
It was a concern shared by some councillors.
Gary Marsh (Con, Ardingly & Balcombe) said he was ‘excited’ by the application while Clive Laband (Con, Haywards Heath – Heath) said it would ‘produce something quite magnificent for Mid Sussex’.
But both raised questions about traffic predictions and the impact an increase would have on the nearby Conservation Area.
West Sussex Highways, though, raised no objection to the plans.
Cottages on the Lydhurst Estate are currently let to holidaymakers.
It’s a business which employs 11 people – a figure which will jump to 55 once the new facilities are in place.
Mr Baillie said: “For our communities and businesses to flourish, there is a need for local tourism and leisure, which is prominently recognised in the district plan and the neighbourhood plan.”
He told the meeting that Lydhurst would either open to the public, bringing with it a ‘little bit of traffic’ or would be closed off as before ‘with no public value’.
He added that the latter would be ‘a wasted opportunity for the area’.