Bantham Estate fights holiday plans for boathouse

The Coronation Boatshed is part of Batam Manor

BBC Coronation Boathouse in Bantam, a two-storey thatched boathouse in imitation Tudor style with several tenders moored to the harbor wall in front of it on the shingle bank. — The Coronation Boatshed is part of Batam Manor

The owner of a country estate faces a battle with the locals for his own plans to convert part a listed boathouse for recreation.

Nicholas Johnston, owner of the 728-acre (295-hectare) Bantam estate in south Devon, wants to create ground-floor holiday accommodation Grade II listed Coronation Boatshed .

The boathouse, built in 1937 to mark the coronation of George VI, was built “for the community” and should not be turned into a holiday rental, according to Thurlestone Parish Council, which voted unanimously against the plans.

The estate said the conversion and restoration of the building would mean it would be “preserved to be enjoyed by generations”.

The ringed elling lies on the banks of the river Avon

Circled in white is a boathouse with a meandering river in front, flanked on both sides by banks covered with vegetation, and on one side by residential buildings and other structures. — The ringed elling lies on the banks of the river Avon

The plans are the latest in a series of proposals for a two-storey thatched boathouse on the banks of the River Avon as In 2014, Mr Johnston bought the estate for more than £11 million.

In 2021, plans for a restaurant were withdrawn after 150 objections.

A holiday permit was refused the following year, and earlier this year a permit was granted to store wine and package alcohol on the ground floor.

The parish council said the boathouse has been empty since 2019 when the local boatbuilder moved out.

“It was built as a community asset,” Councilor Gill Stone said.

“We have a unique building, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.”

She suggested that it would be better to use it for boat maintenance or other uses related to the sea.

The estate says that the reconstruction of the boathouse will contribute to the development of tourism

Ship-like figure of a young woman in a blue top, red skirt and brown hair curled up, with a river in the background and a curved wooden pole extending from a building behind. — The estate says that the reconstruction of the boathouse will contribute to the development of tourism

Heritage and environmental charity South Hams Society also objected to the plans, saying “both the character of the building, its internal structure and appearance will be irreparably altered”.

The planning application states that the estate recognizes “the importance of the boathouse to the village and values its historic estuary location”.

The boathouse is in need of “significant refurbishment and investment” totaling more than £430,000 and the refurbishment will help fund the refurbishment, the application said.

The parish council says the boathouse could be used for a marine business

A red and white lifebelt with the words 'Coronation Boathouse' attached to a stone wall with the river to the right and a boat moored in it. — The parish council says the boathouse could be used for a marine business

The estate said in a statement that the conversion would be “a sensitive and sustainable project that will deliver much-needed investment in the listed building and its surrounding area”.

“The holiday rental will repurpose the building’s first floor, which has been vacant for several years, in a way that preserves the building’s historic structure,” the release said.

“This will increase purchasing power in the village and surrounding areas and generally support local tourism.”

The application will be considered by the planning authority, South Hams District Council, at a later date.