First tranche of Doddington Estate homes advances

Almost four years after successfully overturning the rejection of proposals for 112 homes in the grounds of the historic hall, plans for the first of 12 phases have been submitted.

Doddington Estate owner Lady Rona Delves Broughton has lodged proposals for 18 homes on seven acres off London Road with Cheshire East Council.

The scheme will feature a mix of four- and five-bedroom homes designed to “emulate the neoclassical architecture of Doddington Hall, infusing a subtle stately ambiance”, according to a design and access statement prepared by Bowman Riley.

The residential scheme is the first element of a wider scheme that includes the redevelopment of the one listed Doddington Hall, which sits within 800 acres of parkland and has been empty since 1997.

It is hoped that the proceeds from the sale of the homes would provide the funding required to convert the historic building into a 120-bedroom hotel.

The Doddington Estate claimed the sale of the homes would raise £9m towards the renovation of the hall, plans for which were approved by Cheshire East in 2015.

Speaking in 2020 when the Planning Inspectorate overturned Cheshire East Council’s refusal of the residential project, Lady Rona Delves Broughton said: “It is with considerable relief that this decision means that the hall and associated heritage buildings can now be restored and put to use.”

At the time, work on the 1700s hall was expected to start in 2022.

The project team for the first residential phase includes EDC Engineering, Trees Solutions, Kingdom Ecology, CEP, Barnes Walker, and Rees Mellish.

To learn more about the project, search for reference number 24/1297N on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal.