AN UPDATED vision for the future of Droitwich’s historic Impney Estate will soon be brought before the district’s planning authority.
After proposals for a revitalisation of the estate were recommended for approval in 2022, an urban design review was ordered before the application could be given the go ahead.
Now, following amendments to the estate owner’s proposals, a new adjusted planning application is expected to be considered by Wychavon District Council before the end of the year.
Plans, which have been tweaked slightly following the design review, include the demolition of large parts of the estate’s modern 20th century extensions to make way for the development of a 127 home settlement to be known as Little Impney.
The estate’s Impney Hall, which has a history of providing a unique hospitality offering locally, will be brought back into use as a hospitality venue, restaurant and hotel. Impney Hall will undergo multi-million pound restoration works and the demolition of the modern adjoining buildings will allow for large parts of the grounds to be reinstated as parklands to complement the hall’s hospitality offering.
Demolition works will also include the removal of the vast 45,000 cubic metre Regent Centre, which will make way for the new houses.
Little Impney will feature landscaped green spaces, wooded areas, play areas, allotments and a central square. Homes will consist of one-bedroom apartments and maisonettes and two to four-bedroom houses in terraced, semi-detached and detached forms. A small number of five bed examples will also feature. Building heights will now not exceed two storeys after initial proposals had maximums of 4.5 storeys.
Pillon’s Villa, a building now set to be retained as part of amended proposals, will also be transformed into two bespoke apartments.
As part of the estate development, four new commercial units will be provided to support the existing business community already on-site.
A new walking and cycling route is also proposed to allow members of the public to travel through the new parkland, while a ‘substantial’ seven figure sum is set to go towards local facilities including education provision and affordable housing.
Proposals from 2022 said 10 per cent of the development will be offered as affordable housing, as per minimum requirements for new sites featuring 10 or more homes.
Highways and footways will not be offered to the county council for adoption and will remain privately managed.
Rod Spollon managing director of Greyfort Group, who own the estate, said: “If approval is secured, we are intending to commence works as soon as possible, subject to conditions.
“This will be a big step forward to revitalise the Impney Estate and take Impney Hall a step closer to John Corbett’s original creation.”
The plans are currently open to consultation. Views can be expressed until October 10, 2025 via Wychavon’s planning portal.
Visit https://www.impneyestate.co.uk/ for more information. Search ‘W/22/00914/FUL’ on Wychavon’s planning portal online to have your say.
