Little Hayes in Lyndhurst to be transformed into holiday let

Plans were previously submitted to convert Little Hayes in Romsey Road, Lyndhurst, into a home for “vulnerable” adults with mental health problems.

This sparked objections from councillors who said tourism facilities were vital to the local economy.

READ MORE: New Forest B&B to house people with mental health issues - but not everyone is happy

However, the plans have been dropped.

Mark and Caroline Winship of Gateway Accommodation now plan on converting the property they bought earlier this summer, into a “luxury holiday let”.

Mark, who with his partner recently opened an apart-hotel in the heart of Southampton, said: “We are really excited about this as we both love the New Forest.

Mark and Caroline Winship outside Little Hayes

“We viewed the property quite some time ago, then again at the beginning of this summer and our offer was accepted.

“We are going to be converting and renovating it into luxury holiday accommodation.

“This is about bringing the building back to life.

“We are really going to town on the whole design process. We have already uncovered a lot of original woodwork floors and tiles surrounding the fireplaces.”

Inside Little Hayes

It is hoped the holiday let will be able to sleep a maximum of 13 people and Mark plans to open it before Christmas this year.

READ NEXT: Look inside the old B&B transformed into an apart-hotel (with modern twists)

He said: “We have got a holiday let in Milford-on-Sea and that is incredibly popular.

“This particular property jumped out at us – it’s the perfect location.

“We are also looking forward to linking up with local businesses in Lyndhurst as we want to incentivise our guests to go out and eat in local restaurants and cafes.

“We want to be integrated within the community.”

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