The proposal, submitted to Mole Valley District Council on behalf of developer HB Devco, involves restoring Hartsfield Manor, a house built in the 1860s and used as a private residence until the Second World War.
Plans include revamping the manor into an upgraded luxury hotel with 69 rooms and adding new facilities, including an event space, hotel extension, woodland lodges and elevated treehouses.
The site is currently used as a hotel and events venue, and has also featured in television and film, including the spy thriller series Slow Horses, where it features as a care home.
The scheme would expand the venue’s gross internal floor area from 2,287 m2 to 5,964 m2, excluding the manor house, across a 6.5ha site.
A new spa with pool, gym and treatment rooms would connect to the events building via an underground passage from the manor. According to design documents, the existing basement would extend into a tunnel linking two new lifts, running beneath the new extension to serve the spa and hotel wing.
PLP confirmed that a detailed assessment has identified which elements of the manor would be preserved and enhanced during the redevelopment.
New buildings would incorporate heat pumps, rainwater management and reused excavated materials, with lighting ‘carefully designed’ to minimise spill through low-level, warm-toned fittings along key pathways.
PLP said the hotel extension would be a ‘defining feature’ of the project. The low-profile structure has been designed to limit visual impact and preserve countryside views from the manor. It would house standard and luxury rooms, suites and self-catering apartments.
The planning application also seeks the removal of the 1970s and 1980s extensions, which PLP said didn’t meet modern standards or ‘reflect the site’s character’.
The appointed team for the redevelopment includes DP9 as planning consultant, XC02 as MEP consultant and Kanda Consulting for the public consultation engagement.
PLP founding partner Ron Bakker said that the Hartsfield Manor project was ‘defined by its extraordinary setting’.
He added: ‘We embraced the natural undulations of the site, shaping new accommodation into the hillside to maximise views and deepen guests’ connection to the landscape.
‘Later additions that diluted the manor’s presence were removed, and the new buildings, formed from local natural materials, are rooted firmly in the land.’
Sean Quinney, director of hotel asset management at investment management firm Colliers International, said: ‘We are delighted to have been supporting the client through the recent acquisition of Hartsfield Manor and the ongoing management of the hotel whilst working with PLP and other specialists to support the design and submission of this exciting and unique scheme.’
If approved, construction would proceed in phases to protect the estate’s landscape as the hotel transitions to its new operational model.