A big extension to a South Derbyshire holiday lodge site – which went through a three year planning battle – is now open. Knights Lodges – which is let through Hoseasons – has opened a new swimming pool, sauna, steam room, gym and games room along with eight new cabins following a three year planning battle.
The 16 cabin site, in Bretby, near Burton, is owned and operated by the Willshee family, who also own and run the waste management and skip hire company Willshee’s.
The family recently won two planning appeals to support changes to the leisure complex, helped by planning, design and development consultancy Marrons.
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The plans had originally been considered and refused by South Derbyshire District Council’s planning committee.
Owner Dean Willshee said: “We have worked tirelessly to create a truly exceptional and sustainable holiday experience for our guests that respects the surrounding environment, and I am absolutely relieved and delighted this long and arduous process has finally come to a successful completion.
“We are keen to move forward positively and building on the development of this superb visitor attraction.
“Rooted in the heart of the National Forest, South Derbyshire is beautiful and people from across the country want to experience it. It is a peaceful site in an idyllic location, situated outside the leafy Bretby village and close to the brewery town, Burton upon Trent.
“Just six months after Knights Lodges first opened the initial eight cabins, I knew I wanted to increase the accommodation on site to meet high levels of demand. We knew from customer feedback there was a desire for leisure facilities and that we could offer our guests a top-quality experience in a tranquil natural setting.”
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A spokeswoman for Marrons said South Derbyshire District Council’s planning committee approved plans for the second phase of eight cabins in March 2020, with planning for the leisure building granted in May 2020.
She said: “Following a complaint, the council established that the location of the first eight permitted holiday cabins differed slightly to the original planning permission.
“The authority required Knights Lodges to rectify the planning status for the eight additional lodges and leisure building, which were in the process of being built with minor amendments to the permitted schemes.
“Marrons submitted separate planning applications in autumn 2020 and worked with council planning officers, who recommended approval after nearly two years. By this stage, the works, which differed marginally from the existing approval, were fully complete.
“At a planning committee meeting in May 2022, councillors refused the applications on “landscape” grounds.
“Marrons appealed the decisions on behalf of Mr Willshee. In August 2022, the planning committee approved a resubmitted application for the leisure building but refused the eight additional lodges, again on landscape grounds.
“The decision was appealed and a government-appointed planning inspector has recently approved the plans, recognising the value of the scheme and praising the design’s visual impact for blending harmoniously with the surrounding area.”
Matthew Roe, senior planner at Marrons, said: “We are truly thrilled the planning inspector agreed that the construction of the leisure complex and the latest eight lodges was entirely compliant with all planning policies.”