Cherkley Court luxury hotel plans to continue

Plans to develop the former Surrey home of Lord Beaverbrook into a luxury hotel and golf course, look set to continue after a request for a second judicial review was turned down by a High Court judge.

The attempt to stop Cherkley Court, near Leatherhead, from being turned into a 48-bedroom luxury hotel with two restaurants, a health club, spa and cookery school, centres around the opposition of an exclusive private members' golf course being developed on the 380 acre estate, which campaigners regard as an area of outstanding ecological importance.

The Cherkley Campaign had hoped to contest the verdict from the Court of Appeal in May to reinstate planning permission to the developer Longshot.

However, Mr Justice Day refused the groups' application on the grounds that it was "without merit, out of time and an abuse of process."

In a statement, the Cherkley Campaign, said that it "deeply regrets" the decision to disregard and overrule the ecological experts of the Surrey Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Surrey Botanical Society, National Trust Box Hill Estate and Friends of Box Hill.

"It remains our review that there was a series breach of EU law". The campaign said that it will now explore its future legal options.

Planning permission for five-star Cherkley Court hotel reinstated >>