2017-20 Lee Bay Hotel proposal

The residents of Lee & Lincombe - led by the LLRA, and with the support of friends and visitors, from home and abroad - campaigned to ensure the development of the old Lee Bay Hotel is appropriate and sympathetic to the village, the locality and the environment.  

After much work by many residents - in particular the former Chairman, Eric Couling and fondly remembered (and greatly missed) Secretary, Paul Scarrott - the developer submitted multiple redesigns for Planning Approval.

Although not unanimously welcomed, the final - approved - design did at least avoid many of the negative elements of previous submissions by the developer.

The below Updates remain on this site as a record of the work undertaken and the progress made.

UPDATE: 04 August 2020

Lee Bay Hotel

Here is the final version of the design guide - as approved by Strategy and Resources Committee on Monday 3rd August. A short foreword has been added to the draft to clarify its status and when and by whom it was adopted. The developer will be notified. 

"This ‘Design Guide’ for the Lee Bay Hotel site has been prepared as a result of concerns over the continued deterioration of the building and its extensive grounds over many years and its negative impact on the protected landscape character and surrounding heritage assets. The document is intended to set out a positive solution for the redevelopment of this previously developed site by identifying a number of key design requirements whilst recognising that this must be achieved through regard to adopted planning policies and the site’s associated constraints.

It has been prepared in consultation with the local community through Lee & Lincombe Residents Association and Ilfracombe Town Council as well as the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Manager and the prospective developer.

Its adoption by the Council at Strategy and Resources Committee on 3rd August 2020 gives it weight as a material planning consideration in the decision making process when any formal planning application is submitted for determination. "

UPDATE: 14 July 2020

Lee Bay Hotel

At a Full Council Meeting on Monday 13th July Ilfracombe Town Council unanimously agreed to support the Draft Design Brief for the Lee Bay Hotel, including the recommendations put forward by the residents' association - it will now proceed to the District Council for full approval in August. It also indicated its support for the pre-planning application submitted by Acorn Blue. It is expected that a planning permission will be submitted in about two months or early autumn. 

POLICY DESIGN BRIEF - Please find here the final draft being sent for approval. You'll see that all our recommendations have been included. 

ACORN BLUE - pre-application enquiry document

UPDATE: 6 June 2020

Draft Policy Design Brief, Lee Bay Hotel

A draft design brief is now available for consultation. The brief is a requirement following the refused planning application in April 2019. It sets out the parameters for any future development. It can be viewed HERE, together with a copy of the Lee & Lincombe News article on the subject which contains a summary HERE. The draft design brief seems to encompass the requirements of the Conservation Area character appraisal, planning regulations, and the grounds for the refusal.

The council and the association are keen to hear the views of residents, homeowners, and members. The association would like to put forward, if possible, a unified response.

UPDATE: 15 March 2019

View Presentation

UPDATE: 12 March 2018

The LLRA committee recommends that you view the changes at planning.northdevon.gov.uk and post your comments (whether you support or object) either online or by email to planningcomments@northdevon.gov.uk by 20th March 2018 at the latest.

The substance of the changes are: 

viability reports pertaining to: 

• • the refurbishment of a 57 bedroom hotel and the erection of 23 dwellings for let; 

  • a consultant's assessment that the proposal is the minimum necessary; 

and a map indicating sale of the land behind the proposed cafe to the cafe and car park owner/s. 

Those documents are posted here for convenience.

Please feel free to contact any LLRA committee member if you would like to discuss further - Eric Couling, Carolyn Weekes, Paul and Marion Thom, Pat Coates, Elizabeth Gilliat, Trevor Greaves, Alan Bannister, Mavis Rogers and Paul Scarrott.

UPDATE: 03 July 2017

Proposed redevelopment of the Lee Bay Hotel

Residents are reminded that the consultation period for Acorn Blue's amended planning application, expires on 14th July. 

The new proposal is for a larger number of units than before - now 23 dwellings instead of 20, made up of 13 apartments and 10 terraced houses in two blocks.  In the new proposal, the ridge line has been reduced in height and the amount of glazing reduced.  There is no provision for affordable housing.  There is no change to the cafe and toilets which are as before, at the back of the site, and the gardens remain exclusively for the use of owners, with no public access or open space provision apart from the existing front terrace area.

If you are in any way dissatisfied with the proposal, or indeed in support, you will need to make fresh representations on the North Devon planning website, application number 63167, no later than 14th July.

Two letters we have sent this week:

Letter sent to residents

LLRA response to North Devon Council

ORIGINAL INFORMATION

Full plans submitted to NDC

The short videos below have been made to clearly show the current site, the plans refused in 2016 and these latest proposed plans.

Visuals

Overhead view