Karen Jones
Operational Director - Planning (London)
Langley Park Hotel
RPS secured consent for the change of use of Langley Park House, Buckinghamshire, to provide a new hotel. The House comprises a listed building in the Green Belt and the proposals included the provision of substantial extensions to the building to provide a spa and wellness centre, as well as the erection of a range of ancillary outbuildings accommodating additional bedrooms and ancillary functions to support the use as a hotel.
Timeline
2008
Planning permission and listed building consent secured for the conversion to hotel use
2011
Amendment to the scheme including the provision of outdoor swimming pool and gardener’s store
2014
Certificate of lawfulness for the implementation of the scheme
2015
Amendment to the scheme for an extension to the underground spa
2016
Listed building consent for the replacement of the main entrance steps
2017
Permission for enlarged pool pavilion
2018
Applications for ancillary facilities including creche, boathouse, tennis court and plant
2019
Planned completion date
Key details
Project name
Langley Park Hotel
Client
Vivenda Regina NV
Location
Langley Park Hotel, Slough
Services provided
- Planning
- Heritage
- Archaeology
Challenge
The House is Grade II* listed and set within a registered historic park and garden designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The proposed alteration required sensitive consideration to the listed building and the historic landscaping. The building is within the Green Belt and the planning application required the provision of a ‘Very Special Circumstances’, which focussed on the benefits that the sensitive and viable reuse of the vacant property would bring.
The site has several ecology interests including bat roosting trees, bat foraging areas, and mature Oak trees on the ground.
Solution
RPS developed a case to justify very special circumstances to overcome the presumption against development within the Green Belt. We worked closely with the development team taking into account heritage, archaeology and ecological impacts on the listed building and the site’s historic landscape.
The project has required close working with a number of statutory bodies, including joint working with Historic England, the local authority and County Archaeologist to coordinate the planning and heritage work associated with the restoration of the property and its reuse as a hotel.
The scheme is a long-running and ongoing project and we have maintained close relationships with the client and the development team to achieve various amendments to the scheme.
Key contacts