Staffordshire estate gets green light for makeover

Planners at Harris Lamb have gained approval for a series of improvements and restoration works at the Shugborough Estate.

Working on behalf of the National Trust, the team submitted detailed proposals to Stafford Borough Council, which included building a new visitor centre, replacing the existing one and rebuilding part of the Estate’s walled garden to create a new access route.

The plans were approved by the local authority, with strict conditions and will introduce a new visitor centre designed to improve security and flow while providing visual and sensory cues to encourage exploration.

Additional plans include relocating the car park to add more spaces, along with new footpaths and infrastructure across the estate.

Simon Hawley, director of Harris Lamb’s planning consultancy, said: “Shugborough needs no introduction; it’s a site of important heritage and incredible beauty, and to be tasked with preparing plans to enhance it while ensuring it wasn’t compromised, was something of a dream instruction.

“The National Trust’s extensive plans aim to enhance the site for visitors to better enjoy it, but physical constraints from previous developments, such as the active railway and existing routes for vehicle traffic entering, parking, and leaving the site, present challenges to current visitors.”