South Ormsby Estate sets out plans for a sustainable rural economy
The latest plans for the future of the South Ormsby Estate in the Lincolnshire Wolds have been revealed to the local community.
Renovations, business support and sympathetic development will form the foundations of the sustainable, long-term plans for the Lincolnshire estate which will focus on making the estate a more attractive place to live, work and visit.
South Ormsby residents are among the first to have seen the latest proposals which aim to make the estate a home for more rural businesses and families while preserving the beauty and character of the area.
An expert team of specialists have been creating a plan for sustainable rural development under the guidance of Jon & Jan Thornes who became custodians of the estate in 2016.
As the estate team have been developing the plans, they’ve been sharing their ambitions with the local community by hosting two exhibitions, first in February 2017 and then again in May 2018. These popular events gave visitors the chance to be the first to see detailed plans and impressions of future work as well information on recent and ongoing restorations. They also enabled them to meet the team including lead architect, Takero Shimazaki and custodians, Jon and Jan Thornes.
Estate spokesperson, Damien Howard-Pask said: “We firmly believe that there’s a bright future ahead for the entire estate and that we can make South Ormsby into a shining example of sustainable and sympathetic rural development and conservation.
To help us toward this goal, the estate, including Manor Farm, Harden’s Gap, the Rectory, Old School and the historic South Ormsby Hall are to be restored and improved. As they’re needed, a number of new homes will also be built, with the first ten homes expected to go for pre-planning application advice this summer.
We’d like to assure local residents and anyone who enjoys this area of outstanding natural beauty that we’re doing everything we can to protect the beauty, character and tranquility of the area and prevent putting extra pressure on roads and infrastructure. It’s important to us that the local community is kept informed of what we’re hoping to achieve, which is why we made sure they were the first to see our proposals.”
Within the last year, the South Ormsby Estate team has worked alongside OnLincolnshire to bring high speed broadband to parts of the estate through innovative 4G linking technology, and plans are on track for fibre broadband to be rolled out to the estate within the next year.
Plans to restore the historic South Ormsby Hall are moving apace with specialist tradespeople using traditional techniques to return it to its former glory. Staying true to the original 1755 design by architect James Paine, the restorations will replace features that have been lost over the centuries, including a pediment and balustrade at the front of the hall.
Internally, parts of the hall and stables are being converted into six luxury heritage apartments and the custodians are making the hall’s basement into a home where they’ll live day-to-day. The ground floor will be open to the public at various times of year while main rooms will be available to hire.
Elsewhere on the estate, the Rectory in South Ormsby is being restored, redeveloped and revived. A locally listed building dating from 1850, it’s hoped that this restoration will be completed in the summer when the Rectory will open as a Bed & Breakfast.
In March, the estate put forward an application for planning permission to rehabilitate the farmstead buildings at Manor Farm on Brinkhill Road into a heritage centre. With careful consideration for the history and agricultural heritage of the site, the proposed heritage centre would include a gallery and exhibition room as well as space for arts and crafts and some rooms for business use. The site would also include a cafe with a kitchen, toilets, a bike rental room and a picnic area with a new pond nearby. While some of the existing buildings will need to be demolished to make way for new structures, most of the existing buildings will be renovated and refurbished, including the farm house which is a listed building.
Sitting alongside walking routes through the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB, It’s hoped that the heritage centre will help local residents and visitors to enjoy the area by making it more accessible and attractive. In keeping with the farm’s original vocation, some farm facilities will be rebuilt and refurbished as well, including a new cow shed and plant room.
Harden’s Gap, a collection of agricultural buildings and a cottage on the western edge of the estate near Tetford will be progressively transformed into a new centre for local business and community activities. 20th century buildings will be replaced with new structures while vacant brick buildings will be re-used. Plans for the first phase of construction will be submitted shortly with construction due to begin in Autumn 2018.
While the restorations are on-going, businesses have already started to establish themselves on the estate. Father and son team, Gordon’s Autos took over the car garage on the estate and Bottomley Distillers, the makers of the only commercially produced gin in Lincolnshire, Pin Gin are to move into a new purpose built distillery on the estate this summer.
True to the team’s ambitions, the company’s founders, Amy and Alan Bottomley will also be moving to the estate themselves to raise their young family. As more businesses set up on the estate and relocate there, it’s hoped that more young families will settle in the villages, helping the local communities thrive.
To support the future economic growth of the area and the local community, the South Ormsby Estate has long-term plans to build up to 150 houses with supporting infrastructure near South Ormsby village. These houses will be built only to meet demand as and when they’re needed to support growth. As they’re built, the homes will create a central village green to help remain a tight-knit village community.
Estate spokesperson Damien Howard-Pask said a lot of care is going into the design and location of the new homes: “As we work to attract new businesses to the estate, it’s important that the entrepreneurs and their employees can move here with their families too. We want them to be part of the community and so it’s important to us that the homes compliment the beauty and atmosphere of the area and that they fit in with the existing village. We certainly won’t be building these homes in one go, they’ll only be built as and when they’re needed.”
The homes will be a mix of two bedroom ‘starter homes’, three and four bedroom ‘family homes’ and single story ‘almshouses’ designed for elderly residents and they’ll be constructed from high-quality local materials such as red brick and clay pantiles to ensure they fit the character of the area. Along with the houses, new green spaces, access routes and pedestrian footpaths will be created to help people enjoy the area while preserving its atmosphere and beauty.
The first phase of housing proposes four new homes on the village site and six new homes to the south of St Leonard’s Church. This first phase will go for pre-planning application advice in summer 2018 with a full planning application expected in late 2018.
More information, including the latest plans and regular blogs on recent work can be found at http://southormsbyestate.co.uk
