Estate in battle over boathouse holiday let plans

The Coronation Boathouse is part of the Batham Estate

A country estate owner is facing a battle with locals over his plans to convert part of a listed boathouse into a holiday let.

Nicholas Johnston, owner of the 728 acre (295 hectare) Bantham estate in south Devon, wants to create holiday accommodation on the first floor of the Grade II-listed Coronation Boathouse.

The boathouse, which was built in 1937 to mark the coronation of George VI, was built "for the community" and should not be turned into a holiday let, according to Thurlestone Parish Council which voted unanimously against the plans.

The estate said converting and restoring the building would mean it was "preserved for generations to enjoy".

The boathouse, circled, lies on the bank of the River Avon

The plans are the latest in a series of proposals made for the two-storey thatched boathouse on the bank of the River Avon, since Mr Johnston bought the estate for more than £11m in 2014.

In 2021 plans for a restaurant were withdrawn after 150 objections.

The following year a holiday let application was refused, and earlier this year permission was granted for wine storage and packing of alcohol on the ground floor.

The boathouse has been empty since 2019 when a local boatbuilder moved out, the parish council heard.

"It was built as a community asset," councillor Gill Stone said.

"We have a unique building and once it’s gone it’s gone."

She suggested that a better use would be for maintaining boats or another marine-related use.

The estate says conversion of the boathouse will support tourism

Heritage and environment charity the South Hams Society has also objected to the plans, saying "both the character of the building and its internal fabric and appearance would be irreparably altered".

The planning application says that the estate recognises the boathouse’s "importance to the village and values its historic estuary setting".

The boathouse is in need of "significant renovation and investment" totalling more than £430,000, and the redevelopment would help fund the refurbishment, the application says.

The parish council says the boathouse could be used for a marine business

The estate said in a statement the conversion would be a "sensitive and sustainable development that will deliver much needed investment to the listed building and its environs".

"The holiday let repurposes the first floor of the building, which has been vacant for several years, in a way that preserves the building’s historic fabric," it said.

"It will increase spending power within the village and surrounding areas, and will generally support local tourism."

The application will be considered by the planning authority, South Hams District Council, at a later date.