A bid to build a collection of bio-secure accommodation units in the grounds of a historic manor has been lodged with north Norfolk District Council.
If approved, the application would see five, two-storey eco-lodges built in the grounds of grade II listed Happisburgh Manor in Happisburgh, on the north Norfolk coast.
The manor which looks out to sea, is one of the country’s best examples of a ‘butterfly house’ and was designed by Detmar Blow in 1900 for the wealthy Cator family.
In recent years it has been used as luxury holiday accommodation and as the headquarters of Amplifier Health, which uses the manor to provide specialist private diabetes treatment and support its charitable work in Tanzania.
The two-storey, self-contained lodges would be used to support patients accessing diabetes services which have been run from the manor since 2017.
The application, which has been submitted by Julian Brown, one of the co-founders of Amplifier Health, states the prefabricated lodges would each feature four bedrooms, a kitchen diner, bathroom, would be constructed from responsibly sourced timber and would have “a minimal impact” on the manor and surrounding homes.
A cover letter supporting the application states the lodges would only be “used for doctor consulting and therapy in relation to diabetes” and would be “only available to residents staying at Happisburgh Manor.”
Located on the southern edge of the estate, the lodges would be accessed via Beach Road, a single track road which runs through the village.
However, the use of Beach Road has attracted objections from people living in Happisburgh, who have raised concerns about the extra traffic the development would bring.
One objection states: “This is a single track road used by residents and to access the Beach Road car park, it is far too busy and more traffic would only add to the problems.”
In response to the concerns, Dr Brown said the lodges would mean Health Amplifier would be able to expand its service to NHS patients while also supporting its outreach work.
He said he had been surprised by the objections to the application.
Dr Brown said: “If we don’t get the planning for this it’s going to cause significant complications for our clinical services.”
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