Dartmoor planning decision awaited

The Absolutely Fabulous and Bottom stars await a decision on discharging conditions for a £250k extension to their Grade II listed Dartmoor home.

Saunders and Edmondson face planning battle over Dartmoor home extension

Jennifer Saunders and Ade Edmondson are pursuing further works at their Grade II listed Dartmoor manor. They were granted permission last year for a new entrance, parking area, terrace, a workshop extension and other improvements, and now seek to discharge several conditions. The current application also aims to remove the requirement to submit details of a new painted timber door and to relax controls on where heat pumps will be installed. Dartmoor National Park Authority is still considering the application, with a decision pending.

Conservation officer Clare Vint raised concerns about the impact of the proposals on the building and its setting, noting the interior and exterior are of high significance both architecturally and historically. She warned that the proposed changes could harm the cottage and house relationship and that the project needs clearer justification and public benefit before any conditions are dropped. The plan cites lifestyle changes for the couple, who have split time between London and Devon, but planners must weigh private convenience against heritage safeguards.

The case shows how private living spaces and celebrated homes can collide with public rules about heritage. On one side, the applicants seek flexibility to adapt a historic property to evolving needs. On the other, planners must protect the site’s character and its setting in a landscape that predates modern planning law. The result could set a precedent for how far listed buildings can be altered when owners argue for lifestyle changes. This is less about taste and more about balance between public interest and private desire.

Highlights

The outcome will show how heritage protections adapt to changing lifestyles without erasing the past.