Plans to convert an historic Cheddleton country home into a pheasant and partridge shooting lodge have been approved by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

The application by JCM Group Holdings has recently been approved, and relates to a Grade II listed 19th century home at Ashcombe Park, just off Cheadle Road in Cheddleton.

The impressive building, which has been vacant for around eight years, will be turned into a quite extensive shooting lodge fully serviced by a team of staff.

A planning statement prepared on behalf of the applicant explained more about the significant building's history.

It says: "Ashcombe Park is a small country house which lies a short distance to the south of the larger village of Cheddleton. It comprises of a large residential dwelling, which is currently vacant and is generally in a poor state of repair. A number of associated farm and estate buildings lie further south.

"Ashcombe Park, which has been vacant since 2013 is an early 19th Century house with a park, lawns and walled gardens is Grade II listed."

Discussing the shooting lodge plans, the statement continues: "The shooting lodge is proposed to service the pheasant and partridge shooting activity already established within one of the applicant's other land holdings. The game birds are bought into the estate as day old chicks and reared in pens on site and grown on until full size before being released onto the estate.

"The proposed shooting lodge would provide for 10 guns with a maximum capacity of 20 overnight guests. Accommodation would comprise of 3 reception rooms, dining room, library, catering kitchen, conservatory, ensuite bedroom, guest kitchen, entrance hall w.c's, boot room, store, laundry, maintenance building at ground floor with 10 guest bedrooms and 2 staff bedrooms provided on the mezzanine and first floor area.

"The development would be for exclusive use by people using the shooting lodge. The accommodation will be fully serviced with a catering staff brought in to provide fine dining meals and a full catering kitchen. Shooting parties will be taken in a gun bus to the existing shooting ground at Consall Wood, which is a continuation of the Ashcombe Park Estate and will then be ferried back to the Hall.

"The change of use requires the highest standards of care and detail for this luxury brand and its existing reputation. It is anticipated that approximately 40 shoots will be carried out during the season which starts in September and finishes in February. Outside these months the building will be used by the applicant and his family for socialising and private events."

The application has been met with a mixed response from local residents, with letters of both support and objection being submitted to the district council.

Those who objected raised potential animal welfare and environmental concerns, as well as potential highways issues. On the other hand, those who supported the plans were pleased to see a new use found for a building that has been vacant for several years.

Cheddleton Parish Council made no comments on the application, and did not raise any objections.

The application was approved recently by the district council's planning officers, who concluded that the proposal would not represent inappropriate development in its Green Belt location.

The officers' report stated: "The proposal is also in line with the Local Plan strategy for the countryside in providing an employment use via the conversion of an existing building and would also benefit the tourism economy as well as the local rural economy but without any significant harms to the appearance of the area, biodiveristy/wildlife or any other environmental harms due to the sustainable location of the site and the distance between it and the nearest

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