Environmentally sensitive ‘tree house’ project at luxury hotel gets go-ahead
Green building news – by GreenWise staff
23rd September 2011
A luxury hotel on the edge of the New Forest has been granted planning permission for a set of 'tree house suites’ to be located deep in woodland on the hotel’s 130-acre grounds, despite the environmentally sensitive nature of the project.
The
six lodges, which are being built on stilts high up in the
tree canopy at the five-star
Chewten Glen in Hampshire, is believed to be the first such development in the UK and had to overcome a complicated set of issues associated with
building in an environmentally sensitive area. Plans for the tree-top suites were approved by New Forest District Council earlier this month.
"This is a unique project because normally you would expect to see a development associated with the hotel sitting close to the main building whereas this is pushing into an environment that is untouched: it is within the green belt, on the edge of the New Forest National Park and is an area of high ecological value containing belts of important trees," said Bridget Pearce, technical director at Terence O’Rourke, which was brought in to manage the planning process.
Sustainable construction
Terence O’Rourke said every effort was being taken to minimise the impact of the tree houses on the natural environment, including constructing the lodges out of sustainable materials.
Designed by Blue Forest, the lodges are of contemporary classic
design and are split into 12 suites, four 'junior’ and eight masters.
"They will make use of local materials, such as strong oak from the hotel grounds, zinc and copper from the 'Jurassic Coast’ and local Portland and Purbeck stone," a spokesperson for the project said. Each tree house will be heated by wood stoves, helping to reduce their environmental impact still further.
"Everything is being done to limit the impact on the environment not just in physical terms, but also in terms of sustainability. Obviously we’re looking at sustainable materials for construction and we’re doing as much as we can in terms of the fit-out to make sure they are as sustainable as they can be without compromising on quality," said Pearce.
The suites are set to open to guests in summer 2012.
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