Work is progressing on the regeneration of the former Lee Bay Hotel site, a long-derelict brownfield plot in the coastal village of Lee Bay near Ilfracombe.
Set within a coastal protection zone, as well as an AONB, Heritage Coast and Conservation Area, the project has required a highly sensitive design response. Our team developed the scheme for Acorn Property Group through extensive engagement with the local community, ensuring the proposals respected both the character of the village and its dramatic landscape setting on the South West Coast Path.
At the heart of the development is the remodelling of the original Arts & Crafts Lee Bay Hotel building into 16 apartments, providing a range of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes. Four new detached houses are also being constructed on the valley sides. Their form, dark timber cladding and green roofs have been designed to sit quietly within the wooded backdrop, while a palette of local slate, timber and stone will reinforce a strong connection to place.
Alongside new homes, the project will enhance public access. A new café and reconfigured car park will help open up the wider grounds, which are managed by the National Trust, supporting better connections between the village and the coastline.
Landscape and ecology are central to the scheme, with a significant uplift in biodiversity being delivered through new planting, sustainable drainage and the creation of a large meadow area. Invasive species will be removed, culverts opened to restore watercourses, and new streams and planted banks introduced to strengthen habitat across the site.
Commenting on the scheme, Nash Partnership’s Director of Design John Everett said: “After many years of engagement on the proposals for this site, the beginning of the construction work here was an important and significant milestone. The site is in a beautiful location that will benefit hugely from our client’s sensitive approach.”