Burry & Knight demolition of designs by Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at Lyndhurst Park Hotel set to be approved by national park authority

CONTROVERSIAL plans to demolish and rebuild parts of a Forest hotel designed by Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are set to be approved.

The 79-home scheme on the site of the old Lyndhurst Park Hotel was given the go-ahead in 2022, but one of the conditions stated the historic facade must be retained.

However, as reported in the A&T, developer Burry & Knight – an arm of Hoburne Developments – applied to drop this requirement saying doing so would make development unsafe. It had suggested instead levelling the whole site and rebuilding the facade.

The scheme is now set to be considered by the NPA’s planning committee next Tuesday, with a recommendation from the planning officer that permission be granted.

In the new application’s design and access statement, agent Giles Moir said: “Visually, there will be no discernable difference between the approved scheme and that now proposed. All of the detailing and revealing of historic features are retained as part of the revised proposal.”

A structural report was also submitted explaining why it was not possible to retain the existing building.

Mr Giles added: “Following a long period of vacancy unheated and unmaintained – and damage to the roof covering removal of lead and holes within roof lights prior to Hoburne purchasing the site at the end of October 2019 – the existing structure has endured significant water ingress and deteriorated to an extent that a section has partially self-demolished, and further sections of the building appear to be in danger of collapse in the near future.”

The statement revealed that since the first collapse in early January 2020, it had not been possible to enter the building due to significant health and safety risks. Drone surveys also showed the deterioration had continued, it said.

As part of the new plans, the rebuild would reinstate Conan Doyle’s design elements. This includes returning the turret detailing to its original design, reinstating crenels and sliding sash windows, demolishing the ‘Lyndhurst Park Hotel’ sign and entrance, in favour of the original porch design, and reinstating gothic arched windows.

A report to the planning committee states: “It is clear from the supplied structural engineer’s reports that the building is in a perilous condition, and it is their professional recommendation to demolish the existing hotel building in its entirety and rebuild, for both practical and safety reasons.”

“It continues: “Consequently, the previously approved scheme which proposed the partial demolition of existing hotel and conversion of retained element, is no longer a viable option and an alternative scheme is required.”

However, an objection was received from the Victorian Society, which claimed that opportunities were missed to maintain the historic building leading, and conservation advice was not acted on.

It said: “The proposed complete demolition of the buildings is not justified when previous engineer's reports have highlighted ways in which the structure could have been preserved and stabilised, yet these have not been executed, stated its response to the current plans.”

But following further information submitted by the structural engineer, it has been accept by the NPA planning officers that the condition of the building was not the result of deliberate neglect, as “reasonable steps were taken, and avenues explored, to retain as much historic fabric as possible”.

Paul Campbell, director of development at Hoburne, said: “Despite our best efforts to retain the hotel’s original historic facade, the years the hotel has spent in disrepair before being acquired by Burry & Knight in 2019 has ultimately meant that the core structure is not able to be retained.

“Further damage sustained as part of a partial collapse shortly after we took ownership of the site has meant that the removal of the facade and rebuilding the historical section of the building is our only viable option. Our plans show that the design of the replacement building will reflect the scheme that has already been approved.”

The application is set to be decided by the national park authority’s planning committee on 15th October.