Shropshire's Hawkstone Hall to be turned into luxury hotel

Martin Hirst and Hannah Petrouis, who are business partners in WH Hospitality, had applied to Shropshire Council for planning permission for Hawkstone Hall to be turned into a 43-bedroom hotel, wedding venue and car parking for 100 cars.

The pair become only the fourth owners of the venue in its 550-year history, following the original Hill family who built the hall, Liberal politician George Whitely and the Roman Catholic Redemptorist Order.

The property, which lies near Wem, was originally for sale in 2012 for £5 million, but had dropped its asking price to £3 million to secure a buyer.

Permission for the hotel, wedding and events venue plans were granted this week and work is due to start in October.

Bosses hope the hall will re-open next summer and for another planning application in regards to the internal structural changes to the 1960s wing of the hall, due to be decided later this year.

Following WH Hospitality's success restoring Weston Hall in Staffordshire, Hawkstone Hall’s redevelopment could bring 40 new jobs to the area.

More than 20 acres of manicured gardens have already been restored, including an orchard, various waterways and over half a mile of footpaths.

The next stage will focus on energising the impressive rhododendron population that covers the estate back to its original spectrum of colourways.

Hannah Whiting, director at WH Hospitality, said “We visited a number of potential estates, but were immediately struck by the history and romance of Hawkstone Hall. Very little structural work is required and we will focus on restoring aesthetic elements within Historic England’s guidelines.We’re keen to source as much as we can locally, and look forward to working with regional suppliers to do so.”

Concerns have been raised about the proposal, including access and extra traffic.

Shropshire Council case officer Sue Collins said: "The concerns regarding the proposal from local residents and the parish council are appreciated. However, these need to be balanced against the benefits arising from the proposal.

"These include the future preservation of a Grade I listed building which is of significant importance to the county and its surrounding landscaped gardens as well as the provision of a high class hotel and wedding venue.

"It is unlikely that any other use would enable this to happen without there being some impact on residential amenities of the area. Conditions have been recommended for inclusion which would ensure that the majority of the issue raised would be appropriately dealt with."