- King Charles submitted the plans to Cotswold District Council in May
King Charles obtained permission to build a new greenhouse that would increase the growing capacity of his 18th-century Cotswolds house by a third.
Plans for the greenhouse at Highgrove House will see more people able to visit to learn about horticulture.
Along with the three cold frames, it will also mean that more young plants can be grown at the palace near Tetbury in Gloucestershire.
The park in which cold frames are planned has been used for greenhouses since 1800.
Highgrove is the country home of Charles and Queen Camilla, and the monarch has long been interested in sustainable growing methods.
The new growing area will be used to support courses at Barley Court, the Prince’s Foundation’s educational training centre.
The King submitted the plans to Cotswold District Council in May and they were approved last month.
Planning documents say: “This greenhouse will be a separate building within the parks existing service area.
“Alongside the existing greenhouses, this addition fits into its context.
“There will be no physical changes to any of the existing buildings on the site.
“The site is bounded to the west by Barley Court. This has become part of the new residential institute.
“The proposed greenhouse will be used to support these educational courses.”
The 17th-century Barley Court was purchased by the Duchy of Cornwall in 2007 with a view to incorporating it into the Highgrove Estate, to provide offices for the company that runs the Highgrove department store on the site.
In 2021, permission was granted to convert Barley Court to serve a traditional craft school run by the Prince’s Foundation, on the southern boundary of the Highgrove estate.
The greenhouse – located in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – will be brick with lime mortar.
The planning documents add: “This follows the materials used in the existing greenhouses and the adjacent walled garden.
“The land immediately east of the site has been used for greenhouses since the 1800s.”
Applicants from the Duchy of Cornwall said the height of the buildings would remain low so that views over the King’s estate would not be affected.
Highgrove was built in the late 18th century but was rebuilt in 1894 after extensive fire damage.
Approving the application, Robert Weaver, chief executive of Cotswold District Council, said: “After considering the criteria set out in Schedule 3, the local planning authority has concluded that it will not have any significant environmental impacts in relation to its nature, size and location.”
Highgrove House is a nine-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion that was once the home of Maurice Macmillan, son of former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and features beautiful interiors by the late interior designer Robert Kim.
Over the past four decades, with the help of distinguished gardeners such as Rosemary Ferry and Miriam Rothschild, King Charles has transformed the house’s gardens, turning them into an attraction in their own right.
The grounds contain a large number of rare trees, flowers and heirloom seeds as well as a wild garden, formal garden and walled kitchen garden.
Another haven is the Woodland Garden which has two classical pagodas made of green oak and trees – a garden feature It is similar to a rockery but made from parts of dead trees, especially trunks.
These gardens are so impressive that they now attract 30,000 visitors a year, and tours take just under two hours.
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