Lyndhurst 'Conan Doyle' hotel plans submitted
Plans to redevelop a former hotel with links to Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as part of a housing scheme have been submitted.
Hoburne Development proposes 79 homes and three retail units on the site of the Lyndhurst Park Hotel in the New Forest village. It bought the site in 2019 after its then-owner failed to win approval to demolish it to build retirement flats. The firm said the new plans represented a "considerable enhancement". The building was originally a private mansion - Glasshayes House - built in the early 19th Century but has been disused since the hotel closed in 2014. Campaigners had called for the building to be protected after sketches of it by Conan Doyle, dating to 1912, emerged. Plans by the building's previous owner PegasusLife to build retirement flats were twice rejected by the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA), which said the development would not "cater for local needs". Hoburne said it planned to demolish the modern extensions to the building. "The historic elements of the former hotel would be retained and reinstated to their former glory, thus leading to considerable enhancements to both the site and the conservation area," the plans said. The proposals, which do not include affordable housing, also include three retail units along the high street and parking for 115 cars. They are open to public consultation until 25 February. Related Internet Links New Forest Public Authority The Victorian Society Hoburne Development