The Southdowns Park planning authority has, at long last, approved the Planning Application for the conversion of Massey's Folly into 5 apartments and the building of two detached houses in the old School playground area on the Southern side of the building. (Shown in the foreground on the right).

An abridged version of the approval document can be viewed in .pdf format here (opens in a new page)

The full planning application SDNP/15/03809/FUL and associated documents can be viewed on the Southdowns planning pages.

As yet no date has been set for construction work to begin but as a condition of the planning approval the parking area behind the building must be available for parking contractors vehicles and equipment before the structural building work begins.

When work begins on the Folly itself, there will be scaffolding erected on the roadside in Church Road, which will lead to problems with through traffic particularly when the developers are working on the western end adjacent to Cruck Cottage. where the outer walls are directly on the roadside.

So far there have been no applications to restrict through traffic to allow construction and repair work on the Folly but, where the road narrows at the western end it may be necessary for the Church Road to be temporarily closed to through traffic when work is in progress.

How long will it all take? no answers so far but, bearing in mind the fragile state of the building once work on the Folly Commences I suspect it may be some time before Church Road is restored to normality.