Permission has been granted for the refurbishment of the historic Grade II listed Broxbournebury Manor into a 95 bedroom luxury golf hotel at the Hertfordshire Golf & Country Club following an application submitted by Humberts Leisure.

Humberts Leisure’s consulting team was initially commissioned to review the market demand for a golf hotel, the suitability of any potential alternative sites, and the market for any alternative uses to restore the listed manor house.  The report identified a strong corporate demand for a luxury golf hotel and that the Hertfordshire Golf Club offered a suitable combination of a high quality listed building for conversion, together with a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course.   

Three previous attempts to gain planning permission for larger hotel proposals had all been refused.  The first application had been refused by the local authority. Two subsequent applications were recommended for approval; however these were called-in by the Secretary of State as a departure and refused on the basis of a lack of a proven need or an assessment of alternatives to overcome listed building and green belt concerns. 

A subsequent report prepared by Humberts Leisure examined the size of hotel necessary to pay for the refurbishment of the listed manor house and its ongoing maintenance as a luxury golf hotel and country club.  The report concluded that a hotel with 95 beds was the realistic minimum needed to attract a successful operator to make a long term investment in the property. 

These reports were submitted as detailed evidence in support of a planning application submitted by Humberts Leisure’s planning team, alongside amended plans prepared by Purcell Miller Tritton LLP which skilfully concealed the extensions and additional buildings both within the walled garden, below the height of the wall, and beneath garden terraces.  

The application was recommended for approval and supported by the local authority planning committee.  Members agreed that there was strong demand for a new luxury golf hotel to help support the local businesses. The committee also felt that the proposed designs would be an improvement to the listed building through significant refurbishment and the removal of a large and intrusive tennis dome which projected above the manor’s garden walls. 

Although the size of the revised application meant it fell below the floorspace criteria for a call-in, the council felt obliged to refer the application to the Secretary of State due to the previous refusals. However, the Secretary of State responded he was satisfied the issues raised do not relate to matters of more than local importance. 

Martin Taylor, director of planning and consulting at Humberts Leisure, comments:  

“There has been a lot of criticism of the government’s Localism agenda and how it could stifle new development.  However, here is an example where the Secretary of State has empowered a local authority to consider all the matters before them, including important national policies to protect the green belt and listed buildings, and to reach their own decision to approve a new development that will support local business growth, improve an important listed building, and preserve the openness of the green belt.” 

For more information, please contact: Martin Taylor, director of planning and consulting at Humberts Leisure, Tel: + 44 (0)1273 325911