Plans for Vale Mill to become lofty home given go-ahead

It is now hoped that work will get under way within two years.

After eight months’ consideration, the planners granted planning permission for the work on the protected building on Hougue du Moulin, Vale.

It is proposed that the mid-19th century stone tower mill be converted into a home. The plans include the erection of a two-storey glazed entrance extension and a subterranean extension at the quarry face with an underground link to the mill.

The mill would provide three en-suite bedrooms and a breakfast room over four floors, while the proposed extension would include a kitchen, pantry/utility, dining area, living area and en-suite bedroom. This would double the usable floor area of the existing building.

In addition, it is proposed to create cantilevered terraces from the extension over the quarry and a pathway around the quarry, with a floating pontoon and summer house on the water.

Richard Ridout bought the property with the late Roger Perrot in 2008.

Mr Ridout said it had been a long road to get to this point, but he was relieved to be moving forward after 12 years of negotiating. He has passed the property on to his son, James, but is still very closely involved.

Mr Ridout said they now needed to fulfil the planning conditions and get building control permission. Then the project would go out to tender. He was hopeful work would start in 2022 and the project would take about two years to complete.

Mr Ridout said they would probably do the exterior of the tower first, because the scaffolding would reduce access. Then they would move on to the tower interior and the extension.

About a dozen objections were submitted to the plans, raising concerns about light pollution, the extension looking incongruous and the structure overlooking other properties.

But the planners backed the use of glass for the extension, noting that it would contrast with the granite tower and also not be too visually prominent.

‘Overall, the proposed design responds positively to the site, taking into account the specific constraints, and assimilates into its context, resulting in a coherent architectural composition,’ the planning report states.

‘The proposal would therefore achieve a high standard of design.’

In terms of overlooking, it was noted that the two windows pointing towards the neighbouring mill cottages would be obscured. Mostly the aspect of the home would point towards the quarry.

The top two levels of the tower – which date from the Second World War – will not at this stage be part of the house. Mr Ridout said they would be weatherproofed and he hoped they would become suitable as viewing platforms, but nothing had been decided yet.