Rookery Manor, a former wedding venue located in the hamlet of Edingworth near the M5 motorway, is set to be transformed into residential flats following a successful planning appeal. The manor, situated just north of Sedgemoor services between Highbridge and Weston-super-Mare, previously operated as a wedding venue until August 2020 and then as a spa until December 2023. Adjacent holiday cabins remain in operation under business owner Ian Clapp.
In July 2024, Somerset Council refused permission to convert the function room of the main manor building into nine self-contained three-bedroom apartments. Undeterred, Mr. Clapp appealed the decision in January 2025. The Planning Inspectorate has now overturned the refusal, allowing conversion work to proceed later this year.
The conversion will involve reconfiguring the single-storey function room, including a lobby and kitchen area, into nine apartments each featuring three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and an open-plan kitchen/dining space. The project also includes adding new windows on the south side and creating new entrances with access to outdoor amenity areas.
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Planning Inspector Andrew Boughton, after visiting the site on April 13, emphasized that the Sedgemoor Local Plan does not restrict the conversion of redundant buildings if the development enhances their setting. He noted that the proposed changes are minor and would preserve the existing building’s form and massing while visually improving what could otherwise become an unimproved and potentially unsightly structure in this rural location.
Mr. Boughton also highlighted the developer’s commitment to making a financial contribution toward affordable housing elsewhere in the former Sedgemoor district, instead of offering the new flats below market price. Addressing concerns about reliance on private vehicles, he stated that the previous assembly use was similarly car-dependent, reducing the weight of this issue in planning considerations.
Citing the National Planning Policy Framework’s principles favoring sustainable development, the inspector concluded that the appeal merits approval. With the green light granted, construction on the new flats at Rookery Manor is expected to commence before the end of 2025.