A former Hertfordshire country house that was occupied by a private school until 2021 has been granted permission to become a residential development.

Sixty-nine new homes will be built on the site of the former Princess Helena College, on the outskirts of Preston, including some inside the Grade II* listed country house and some within its grounds.

North Herts Council's planning committee voted to grant permission at its meeting yesterday (Thursday, 30 January), with the proposals receiving wide backing for their community engagement and preservation of the historic building.

Concerns were raised, however, about the lack of any affordable housing within the development.

Between 1935 and 2021, the country house – previously known as Temple Dinsley – was home to Princess Helena College.

Originally built around 1714, a substantial redesign was carried out by Edwin Lutyens in the early twentieth century.

Formal gardens were added around the same time – and they will be restored as part of the new development.

Thirty-five of the new homes will be within the country home itself, with the remainder scattered around its grounds. They will range from one-bedroom to five-bedroom in size, with most being on the lower end of that scale.

As part of the plans, the science block, sports hall, stables and summer house will be demolished.

None of the homes will be affordable – and there is no requirement for them to be added due to national planning rules encouraging the re-use of empty buildings.

Councillors including Cllr Nigel Mason and Cllr Val Bryant expressed disappointment about the lack of affordable housing, but the applicant's representative said: "The investment required to convert this building is very, very significant.

"Any affordable housing on this site could potentially render the whole project unviable."

In addition to housing, the plans also include a community sports facility with a cricket square and pavilion and two refurbished tennis courts.

The sports facilities will be leased to the parish council for 75 years at a peppercorn rent, and Preston Cricket Club supported the application.

Eight new pitches on the square would, they said, help them provide a home for all their teams, some of which currently have to play home fixtures in Whitwell. 

The chairman of Preston Parish Council, Cllr Margaret Trinder, said the council was backing the redevelopment and added that the plans would support the house's "long-term conservation".

Councillors were fulsome in their praise for the development.

Cllr Martin Prescott said: "I've seen loads of these kinds of things over the year.

"This is, without doubt, the most comprehensive and sympathetic set of proposals I think I've ever seen.

"This is going to be of huge benefit to the community … this is an excellent proposal."

Committee chair Cllr Elizabeth Dennis said there had been "brilliant community engagement" and the developer had "worked with people" to create a scheme that is "supportive and complementary to the local area".

Earlier, councillors had heard from a representative of architect The Door UK, who said: "We are … passionate about these proposals and believe the project will protect and sustain this wonderful old place for generations.

"Temple Dinsley's heritage assets need to be saved urgently.

"Their value is immense – their fabric, arrangement, the stories they tell of lives and of evolving practices.

"To keep a good story going, these heritage assets must be made viable, relevant to current lives for the next generation, and on into the future."

There will be 138 car parking spots across the residential site, with 105 of them having electric vehicle chargers. Many of the spaces will be covered with solar panels, and there will be a further 19 car parking spaces at the sports facility.

The school's swimming pool will be turned into an ornamental pool, which was its original use. 

Footpaths will be retained, with some new sections added.

After the meeting, a spokesperson for The Door UK said they are "very pleased" to have received planning permission and listed building consent for their proposals.

They said: "It has been a long and complex process in preparing these in order to bring this wonderful Grade II* listed building and its grounds back into a long-term, sustainable and viable use.

"This vast project has involved a wide range of bodies, including our team of conservation architects at KPT/SCABAL, planning consultants at Sworders, North Herts DC Planning & Conservation team, Historic England, Preston Parish Council and The Lutyens Trust, to name but a few.

"I have to thank our team for their invaluable input, the planning team at North Herts DC for their professionalism, hard work and proactive approach, and also the local community and Parish Council in working with us to bring these plans to fruition.

"Lastly, thank you, of course, to the members of the North Herts DC Planning Committee for their valued consideration, support and subsequent approval of the proposals last evening."