Approval for development at South Yorkshire manor house

A proposed development at a landmark South Yorkshire manor house has been given the green light.Wentworth Woodhouse, near Rotherham, was the seat of the Wentworth family from the 13th century. The grade I-listed house was built between 1725 and 1735, incorporating earlier elements dating back to about 1630.King George V and Queen Mary stayed at the house for four days during a visit to the region in 1912, and it was used as a training depot and headquarters of the Intelligence Corps during WWII.It was then used as a private residence until it was sold by the Newbold family to the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust in 2016. In 2018, the trust set out its masterplan to restore the estate and bring it back into use.In December 2021, an application was submitted by the trust to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for a series of developments at the estateThe plans cover the change of use of the estate from a private residence to sui generis use class to allow for house guided and non-guided tours, garden visits, weddings, events and education workshops, as well as an ancillary café within the mansion house and location filming.The grade II*-listed Camellia House building would also be brought back into use as a café and event space, and part of the stables building converted for a production kitchen and café area.The existing teaching accommodation would be demolished to enable the provision of a new car park to the north west of the stable block, together with temporary coach parking on former tennis court to the east of the main house.The council has now granted planning permission for the works, subject to conditions, under delegated powers.The application is a resubmission of plans submitted of plans submitted in August 2021, with the proposed production kitchen and café now included following the receipt of government ‘Levelling-Up’ funding for the project in October 2021.Last month (May 2022), it was announced that lottery funding of £4m had been secured to support the restoration of Camellia House.In the 1800s the building was used as a tea house by Lady Rockingham, wife of the 2nd Marquess.The restored tea house will host evening events and serve as a weekly space for local community groups to explore local tea traditions. The venue will also host a range of art workshops, natural play, sensory and wellbeing experiences and exhibitions, with many focusing on the theme of tea.