Celebrity chef seeking permission for luxury shepherds huts at hotel

The chef wants to retain five of the existing huts and move one

Celebrity chef Michael Caines is seeking formal permission for a group of shepherd huts at his five-star luxury Devon hotel.

Mr Caines, who owns the Grade II-listed Lympstone Manor Hotel in East Devon, has applied for permission to keep five huts at their current location, and to move a sixth.

The huts, in woodland on the grounds of the hotel, were installed “without the benefit of planning permission”, according to East Devon District Council, and a previous retrospective application was submitted in 2021 to retain them but later withdrawn.

An updated application in 2022 will be determined by East Devon District Council’s planning committee today, Tuesday (22 April).

Prices start at nearly £480 for one night in a hut with a king, a double and a single sofa bed in it and breakfast – which is a 20 per cent discount on the usual price, according to the hotel’s website.

Costs for one night can reach nearly £1,000 if guests want free cancellation until seven days before arrival and have dinner from the a la carte menu and breakfast.

Even though the location of the huts is in a so-called undeveloped coast and coastal protection area, planning officers are recommending approval with conditions.

Their view is that the huts would result in “less than substantial harm” to the surroundings, and that the benefits from additional tourist accommodation to the area’s economy and employment opportunities outweigh other factors.

Ward member Cllr Andrew Toye (Liberal Democrat, Exmouth Halsdon) has objected to the huts on environmental grounds, calling it an “environmentally sensitive area”.

Five people have written to the council about the application, with four raising objections and one requesting more images to help them make a fully formed view.

Natural England raised no objections as long as mitigation is made on wildlife habitats, and the Environment Agency said that East Devon needed to be content that flooding risk tests had been suitably completed, and suggested that permission be limited to 30 years and include restrictions on use of the huts when flood warnings are in place.

“[The huts] were installed without the benefit of planning permission and the application for their retention submitted in 2001 raised a number of landscape, visual, heritage and flood risk concerns, both in terms of siting and the installation of external paraphernalia,” a report prepared for councillors said.

“This application was subsequently withdrawn and further negotiations, various site meetings and alternative proposals have been explored.

“The application now being considered seeks to overcome these concerns.”

It added planning permission is being “sought for the retention of five shepherd huts and the alternative siting of a sixth” together with boiler house and decking.

Representatives for Mr Caines were contacted for comment but did not respond.