Esher Place
Esher Place
At Esher Place in Surrey we consulted on behalf of a local residents group regarding the impact of proposals to create 36 new dwellings within and around Esher House.
The existing building was constructed for the first Viscount d’Abernon in 1806-1808 to the designs of Edward Lapidge. The house was subsequently enlarged in the 1890s by George Thomas Robinson and Achille Duchêne in the style of a 19th century French chateaux. Its sumptuous interior survives largely intact from this period and includes a variety of features including Duchene’s Dixhuitieme stone staircase and balustrade decoration, both noted in the house’s entry in Pevsner.
The Grade II listed house was most recently owned and run as a conference centre by Unite the union. Despite this, the main building largely retained its historic ground floor plan and decorative schemes within the principal rooms, which survived largely intact in their original historic form.
We were approached by a local resident’s group to consult on a proposed residential scheme for the house and grounds. We argued that these would negatively impact the historical significance of the house and its setting. In 2022, following two public hearings and in response to our work and a supportive campaign undertaken by SAVE Britain’s Heritage and local residents, plans to alter Esher Place were refused by the Planning Inspectorate on heritage grounds.
Client: Esher Residents Limited