Award winning planning and design consultancy Terence O’Rourke has secured planning approval for a brand-new cookery school at one of the world’s top hotels*.
Plans for Chewton Glen’s cookery school and dining floor were approved at committee last week, allowing the £2.6 million development to take place. Great emphasis was placed upon the economic benefits of the project, together with the very strong links that the hotel has with local educational and training establishments. The views of local residents were also sought, which helped to ensure that the building was designed to respect both the surrounding environment and local amenity.
The cookery school is the latest in a number of major planning applications Terence O’Rourke has secured on behalf of Chewton Glen. In 2011 it secured permission for the hotel to erect 12 Tree House Suites in its grounds. The luxury, self-contained accommodation has been extremely popular since opening in 2012 and regularly attracts big name celebrities and their families.
Bridget Pearce, special projects director at Terence O’Rourke, added:
“We are delighted that our success on the Tree House Suites brought Chewton Glen back to our door for this exciting new venture. We are never ones to shy away from a complex or difficult project and while obtaining permission to build within the green belt is challenging, our ability to demonstrate how the project would make a significant contribution to the local economy really helped us to succeed.”
Terence O’Rourke is also the designer and architect for the new cookery school. The single-storey building, with a lower ground basement, will have a barn-like appearance, helping it to integrate into its rural surroundings. It will reflect a natural aesthetic, achieved by the use of natural materials that will be sourced or produced locally where possible.
Andrew Stembridge, managing director of the five-star New Forest hotel, says the approval of the plans means Chewton Glen will be able to respond to the ever-changing needs of the leisure and hospitality sectors, while creating jobs and local wealth.
An existing building within the hotel site will be demolished to make way for the cookery school and tasting floor, together with associated parking, landscape works, a vegetable garden and sculpture garden. TV chef James Martin, who started his career at Chewton Glen, is among those backing the new venture and will provide classes for hotel residents and visitors once it opens. Other renowned chefs are also anticipated to provide guest classes.
Andrew said:
“While we are steeped in heritage we are always looking ahead and adapting to the wants and needs of consumers in order to bring them the very best leisure experience. The approval of this latest planning application will allow us to do just that and marks another exciting step in the Chewton Glen’s history.”
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