Following an independent review, and sustained scrutiny from Beaminster and Netherbury residents – including DNHI specialists with expertise in financial risk assessment – Parnham Estates has been forced to publish a revised Business Plan for the 82-house gated development on Millground meadow and the deer part to the Dorset Planning Portal.
Submitted at the end of June, Parnham’s document confirms that:
“The proposed development will deliver 82 houses, and on receipt of planning permission the land will be sold to a developer with the capital receipt used to part fund the restoration programme.”
“… the cost of returning the whole house back to the pristine condition it was in prior to the fire of 2017 is of an unmanageable scale.. instead the owners propose to stabilise the fabric of the house, and principal rooms will be covered and protected from further degradation…”
Beyond these revisions, the updated Business Plan offers little new substance and, if anything, raises more questions than it answers. Its appearance follows the publication of an independent report that has raised significant concerns over the financial viability of Parnham’s proposal.
The AspinallVerdi independent review, commissioned by Dorset Council, echoed many of the objections raised by residents, environmental groups and conservation bodies, questioning whether the scale of the development is justified. It suggests a smaller number of higher-value homes could generate similar funding with less impact on the landscape, while arguing alternatives such as converting Parnham House have not been fully explored.
The report also identifies gaps in the financial modelling, including missing costings for the bridge, biodiversity net gain and highway works, uncertainty over VAT, Capital Gains Tax and future hospitality income, plus concerns about developer funding, luxury home sales and Section 106 agreements. It also warns that unresolved Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) liability could further undermine the scheme’s viability. Parnham Estates has previously said that having to pay CIL would make the development undeliverable.
View the full report at https://planning.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/
