Appleby Castle’s former stables are to be redeveloped into seven homes and a private gym, with planning permission granted after work had already started.
The application was made by Appleby Castle (Outbuildings) Limited which is registered in Colchester.
Companies House lists its directors as Graham Avery and Guglielmo La Bella.
Appleby Castle and grounds are owned separately by Sally Nightingale, who is not listed as being involved in the proposed development.
Both planning permission and listed building consent have been granted by Eden District Council for the owners to restore and refurbish four existing vacant dwellings and convert the single storey former stables into three new dwellings.
The seven homes, due to be offered for sale, will be a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom properties and have car parking for 20 vehicles.
The site will have a private gym for residents, a bin store, recycling store, storage for bicycles and a fountain installed as the centrepiece of the courtyard.
Access to the properties will be through the castle’s main gates at the top of Boroughgate with the owners having a right of way along the access road through the castle grounds.
The permission and listed building consent was granted under the council’s delegated powers meaning it did not go before councillors in a public planning committee meeting.
The application was made in April despite work having already started in January.
The stables courtyard was originally built in 1652 by Lady Anne Clifford.
It was a purpose-built facility for the storage and maintenance of the castle’s vehicles and is Grade I listed.
The buildings are on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register due to their poor condition and are described as being decayed both internally and externally.
No objection to the redevelopment was made by the authority.
