The new “supervisor” houses destroy the planned “renovation” plan in the village

Plans to build houses and refurbish a derelict gate in the grounds of a historic Leicestershire manor house have been rejected for a second time. Jamie Lewis, owner of Ashby Folville Manor, wanted to carry out a number of works in the grounds of the house – once owned by legendary fitness guru Rosemary Conley – including restoring the original driveway, renovating the manor’s burnt-out gate and restoring a bridge over Gaddesby Brook.

But his plan to also build two, five-bedroom detached houses at the back of the gate, known as the Lodge, has proved unpopular, with one parish councilor calling the proposed properties “overbearing” and “out of context for this lovely village landlord. Melton Borough Council’s planning committee refused the application, which was opposed by the parish council and five residents of the village, which has around 30 homes.

Concerns raised about the project included the land being in open countryside, the proposed houses not being in keeping with the village of Ashby Folville, the lack of need for village housing and that historic ‘ridge and furrow’ land would be lost. The ridge and furrow are archaeological remains of medieval farming methods, with the land having a distinctive undulating effect caused by the plowing methods of the time.

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Earlier this year, Mr Lewis was refused permission for a similar scheme which proposed the same land restoration work but included plans for seven terraced houses instead of the two detached houses in his latest application. At the time, ward councilor Robert Child said the homes would make up 20 per cent of the village’s existing 30-35 homes.

Existing planning permission, granted by the council in 2016, allows Mr Lewis to convert the entrance house into two separate five-bed houses. But Mr Lewis claimed his new application, if approved, would allow him to restore the Lodge and build new homes 20 to 30 meters away.

Planning documents state that the restoration work “(requires) a substantial amount of funding” and that the proposed new homes would “make a significant contribution to these costs”. The lodge has been ravaged by fires, vandalism and graffiti, with police regularly called to the building, according to planning documents. Mr Lewis proposed in his plan to remove the extensions from the building, leaving only the original 19th century section, with a “free” extension to be added.

Councilor John Simon, of Gaddesby Parish Council, said: “The parish council is opposed to this application for the two houses but is not opposed to the redevelopment of the entrance house and the resurfacing of the driveway.

“The site is in open country, it’s ridge and furrow and outside the village. The houses are extremely large and overwhelming and really out of context for this lovely village. The 2017 Housing Needs Survey identified little or no need for such large homes.”

Speaking in favor of the plans, local historian Brian Fare told members the Lodge was having a negative impact on the village and the conservation area it sits in due to its derelict condition. He said it was unfortunate the site was on ridge and furrow, but that its loss would be “minimal” as it was on the “very edge” of the area.

Mr Lewis disagreed with the suggestion that the two houses could be the start of more housing on the land, saying: “I live in the estate so I don’t want a housing estate at the bottom of the road. We are simply looking to reposition these properties in the same location and design to allow for the restoration of the historic gateway.”

But Councilor Marilyn Gordon pointed out that while the 2016 permission allowed him to create two properties by converting the Lodge, the new plan would actually provide three houses – the two new houses plus the restored gate house.

Coun Child, who spoke against the proposals, said only one house had been built in Ashby Folville between 1991 and 2011, adding: “There is clearly no need for new homes, particularly in a (village) with about 30 houses. “

Councilor Leigh Higgins said she supported “younger families getting into rural villages” and did not want to see the home “further deteriorate”, but added: “Personally, I would have preferred more smaller homes for local people.”

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