Will Studland get a new luxury resort hotel?

During six days of evidence, passionate arguments were heard in favour of replacing Knoll House hotel in Studland with a £65 million luxury resort but Dorset Council doubled down on its objections to the redevelopment.

Councillors on Dorset Council’s eastern area planning committee twice refused permission for the scheme on the grounds that it was inappropriate in an environmentally sensitive area, but developer Kingfisher Resorts thought that was unfair and challenged the ruling, leading to a full public inquiry to decide the issue.  

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A 3D model of the planned new luxury resort at Knoll House Hotel, as seen from Ferry Road, Studland
KINGFISHER HOTELS

An artist’s impression of what the new £65 million resort would look like if it is granted permission

Wanted to hear from Studland residents

The planning appeal, which began at Westport House in Wareham on Wednesday 11th December 2024, was presided over by government planning inspector Hayden Baugh-Jones. 

Kingfisher Resorts wants to revitalise the site of the 1930s Knoll House hotel by creating 30 hotel rooms, 18 apartments and 26 villas, with luxury facilities including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa, jacuzzi, fitness studio, steam room, sauna and restaurant.

The developer claims this will create 86 new jobs, pump £5 million into the local economy during construction, and generate an extra £2.9 million in wages for Purbeck.

However the scheme involves the demolition of all but the existing facade of the century old hotel in an area of outstanding natural beauty and a site of special scientific interest, next to protected heathland and overlooking the internationally valued Jurassic Coast.

A public planning inquiry over six days was held at Westport House, Wareham

Passionate arguments

At the hearing, Dorset Council’s planning department persisted with concerns that the proposed villas and apartments had been submitted as C3 residential buildings rather than C1 commercial hotel property and that in the future they could be sold off to private individuals, as had happened at a Kingfisher resort in Cornwall.

But the inspector devoted the first day to hearing the views of local people and was left in no doubt that the new resort was very much wanted by the majority of residents in Studland.

Government planning inspector Hayden Baugh-Jones will make a final decision on the scheme

“Economy is unfortunately fragile”

Councillor Ben Wilson, who is the elected representive for South East Purbeck on Dorset Council told the inquiry:

“Tourism is the largest employer in Purbeck, accounting for up to 25 percent of jobs, and 80 percent of businesses in our area employ fewer than 10 people.

“What that means is that our economy is unfortunately fragile and as we know tourism can be seasonal, some of it is poorly paid and it is weather dependant to quite a degree.

“There is good news, there are green shoots and enterprises in the area, a lot of them focusing on the outdoors, that are drawing in visitors all year round.

“Knoll House hotel represents an enormous opportunity to grow all year round, all weather tourism and really solidify Purbeck as an all season destination.”

Knoll House Hotel Pool

Amenities at the current hotel, which dates from the 1930s, were described as ‘tired’

“Enormous opportunities”

Ben Wilson added:

“We know that visitors who will come to Knoll House will bring with them money to spend in the local economy, and we know from other similar destination hotels that the trickle down benefits for other Purbeck businesses will have a material benefit for the entire area.

“There will be year round jobs in a premier tourism establishment, which will give enormous opportunities for our younger residents to build careers in the tourism sector and prevent them from moving away taking their skill sets with them.

“Then there are client services which the hotel will use, growing our local economy which will have a hugely beneficial impact for agriculture and farming businesses which are so important to Purbeck.

“I don’t see the redevelopment of Knoll House Hotel at odds with a sustainable tourism plan for Purbeck. When the draw is the natural beauty of the area, it strikes me that all parties will have an interest in ensuring that the environment is preserved and enhanced.”

Studland villagers were said to be hugely in favour of the new hotel plans

Local people are ‘fully supportive’

Chair of Studland parish council Nick Boulter told the inquiry:

“We have been involved in this planning application over seven years or more and we opposed the first application because we thought some of the characteristics were out of keeping with the local area.

“However, the parish council and the Studland community support the second application and disagree that it is out of keeping with the area.

“We had a meeting at Knoll House at which the plans were presented where there were over 80 residents from a village of some 300, which represented 25 percent or so. At the end of the meeting, I asked for a show of hands to gauge opinion and only four or five were opposed to the plans.

“People who live in the area and who work in the area are fully supportive of this application, they don’t see any detriment to the character of the area.”

A new, shorter path down to the sea is one of the improvements at Middle Beach

It was claimed that a new resort in Studland would boost year-round tourism across Purbeck

“Keep people working in the area”

President of Dorset Chamber of Commerce Tony Brown said:

“We recognise the importance of these jobs to the local economy and the wider importance of jobs in the tourism industry in this area, particularly for young people.

“We want to keep people working in the area, living in the area and spending money in the area, to invest in their own region.

“We have to accept there is a wider economic argument which improves the environment in the longer term.”

DORSET LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP

Cecilia Bufton said a new hotel on a largely brownfield site would be a positive asset for Dorset

“Pivotal shift in planning policy”

And Cecilia Bufton, chair of the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership added:

“We fully support this application and would welcome a positive decision. It will result in the creation of good jobs and economic growth in a rural part of the county and ensure that local people and visitors will have money in their pockets to spend in the area.

“The government has made a clear commitment to raise living standards through economic growth.

“Sir Keir Starmer says that planning systems have become a chokehold on the growth of our country’s needs, preventing the construction of roads, making home ownership unaffordable and making investment in this country incredibly difficult.

“This pivotal shift in planning policy directly affects this appeal and I feel that weight should be given to its economic effects on a largely brownfield site.

“The plan should be looked on as a much needed investment and regeneration of a key site on a largely brownfield site to uplift the hotel to five star quality and provide sustainable employment. I can absolutely see the new hotel being a positive asset for Dorset.”

KINGFISHER RESORTS

Villas in a Kingfisher Resorts development in Cornwall

“It’s more than double the size”

Leading the case for Dorset Council, James Neill said:

“The main issue is whether the proposal will conserve and enhance the Purbeck landscape of scenic natural beauty, or make an impact on the character of the heritage coast, on nationally important heathland, on panoramic view and on protected trees.

“This is a proposal for a major new luxury resort with a hotel and is substantially greater than the current use of the hotel. It’s not a replacement of one hotel with another, it’s more than double the size with higher buildings in a highly sensitive area.

“Whether the design is quality is a matter for the planning inspector, but what worries the council is the impact of the proposal, the sheer amount of form, bulk and scale, the urban character of the design and the lack of integration in its surroundings – the building will be raised by six metres in some places.

“The reason the council has drawn a distinction between a C1 hotel and C3 use is very important – C3 buildings could lead to residential use in heathland. It is very important whether hotel use or residential use is being proposed.”

James Neill led the defence of Dorset Council’s decision to refuse planning permission

James Neill led the defence of Dorset Council’s decision to refuse planning permission

“Clear risk to the heathland”

James Neill added:

“Without restriction, several years of self contained, independent accommodation units right on the edge of an international site of importance could lead to them being sold off as accommodation.

“There’s a clear risk to the heathland based on recreational use from C3 accommodation – residents of self catering holiday accommodation are likely to behave differently to hotel guests.

“They would be able, and therefore likely, to stay for longer, would be able to bring more recreational equipment such as bicycles and so would explore outside the resort and cause more risk to the heathland as a result.”

Paul Cairnes, pictured right, led the appeal for Kingfisher Resorts

“It’s a red herring”

Paul Cairnes, leading the appeal for Kingfisher Resorts, said:

“This is a proposal for tourist accommodation and not for market housing. The villas cannot be used for anything other than as a part of the resort, there are shared corridors and no parking at the villas – there has never been a proposal for unconstrained C3 accommodation. It’s a red herring.

“The most important element of this planning appeal is that it is the proposed redevelopment of Knoll House Hotel. It is not a new development of a green field site in a designated site, but a significant regeneration scheme of an existing hotel that has evolved over many years.

“It has taken at least six years to get to this stage and the revised scheme was specifically to address the reasons for refusal of the first scheme.

“During this time, the existing hotel has continued its decline. There’s no drainage, no infrastructure, it has a failing carbon intensive heating system, it is not regulated in terms of access to the heathland and the buildings are incredibly inefficient.”

Kingfisher may have to drop dog friendly status to appease planners over heathland concerns

The Knoll House Hotel is dog friendly, but it may have to restrict numbers if plans for the new resort are passed

Control to decrease dog numbers

Paul Cairnes added:

“The current operation is not sustainable, but the options are limited. Any essential refurbishment would cost around £15 million and is not commercially realistic, and a do nothing option is a retrograde approach.

“Dorset Council agrees that redevelopment is necessary and has the advantage of bringing controls and benefits with it. This scheme offers a rare opportunity to develop a site which is tired, and one that we should not let slip through our fingers.

“Following a testing of the evidence in this inquiry, we now have significant common ground between Kingfisher and Dorset Council – the council considers this to be a brownfield site, and there is no inherent design objection, just an objection to location.

“The proposal will lead to a decrease in overnight accommodation and will draw tourists away from the heath with the enhanced offering of the site itself which includes luxury features and provides alternative recreational space.

“They will also introduce a new control which will lead to a decrease in dog numbers and there will be regulated dog walking arrangements, and hopefully a dog agility trail, a two kilometre walking route, visitor interpretation boards and extra seating.”

Purbeck heathland

Purbeck heathland is said to be at risk if the new resort is built

Weeks to review the evidence

Dorset Council and Kingfisher Resorts have been given until Monday 6th January 2025 to reach an agreement on the maximum amount of time that guests could stay in the proposed new villas and apartments if the plan is to be approved, in an attempt to stop them effectively becoming second homes.

Dorset Council’s proposal of a 20-day maximum stay per year at the new resort has been resisted by Kingfisher, which says it is economic folly to turn away guests who want a longer stay.

Inspector Hayden Baugh-Jones will then officially close the appeal and review all the evidence, which is expected to take several weeks with a final decision expected towards the end of March 2025.

Further information

  • The Knoll House Hotel planning application P/FUL/2022/06840 is on the Dorset Council website
  • The Knoll House hotel website

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