Plans for home at Jonathan Creek’s Shipley windmill turned down

Plans for a new home at a historic Shipley windmill have been refused planning permission.
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The Grade II* listed King’s Mill was owned by writer Hilaire Belloc and used as the fictional home of TV sleuth Jonathan Creek.

Its owners want to convert the engine house into a two-bedroom home and argued this would generate funding to help repair and maintain the mill itself.

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Members of Horsham District Council’s planning committee north deferred the application back in December citing concerns about the financial viability of the proposals.

The engine house at King's MillThe engine house at King's Mill
The engine house at King's Mill

Extra information provided by the applicant since then did not sway them and planning permission was refused at a meeting earlier this month.

Objector Colin Kenny suggested the new dwelling would make it ‘almost impossible’ to restore and operate the mill in the future with all the equipment in full working order.

He added: “Both the mill itself and the internal machinery are listed and to allow development of such an important and historic landmark will be a disaster.”

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But Robin Nugent, architect for the project, described how the owners wanted to provide the mill with a sustainable future.

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The main areas of concern were around the proposed financial arrangements, public access to the mill and the feeling that approving the plans would not help guarantee future maintenance.

Officers described how public access to the mill through the Heritage Open Days scheme.

However, a number of councillors described disappointment about the owners not engaging with efforts to restore a trust to look after the building.

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They also felt other options had not been explored thoroughly enough.

Meanwhile Ruth Fletcher (LDem, Denne) argued the shed containing the engine room was important to understanding the context and operation of the mill. and felt its conversion would result in significant harm to the heritage asset.

Claire Vickers (Con, Southwater North) said: “I do not believe it has been demonstrated the development will enable a financially viable solution to secure its future and it will not provide sufficient public benefit to outweigh the identified harm.”

The application was overwhelmingly refused.