Filby Spa and Leisure Retreat Finally Legalized: A Six-Year Journey to Legitimacy
After six years of operating without planning permission, the boutique spa retreat owned by Lorraine and Paul Thompson has finally been granted retrospective approval to change the use of their property, the Black Barn on Market Lane in Filby, to a mixed-use leisure facility.
The site now includes a spa, treatment rooms, a café, and four holiday cabins with hot tubs. The previous bid to regularise the business was refused in July 2024 due to concerns about the 'urbanisation' of the countryside. However, the renewed bid was approved with several conditions, including operating by appointment only and hosting a maximum of eight guests overnight.
The Thompsons bought the site in 2015 and initially opened a holiday let on the site of a former pig shed. The business has been operating unlawfully since 2019, offering overnight stays and spa treatments. According to planning documents, structures were erected in the rear garden without consent and used as treatment rooms. The recent application raised concerns about increased traffic in the rural area and the 'intense' use of the site.
Highways objected to the plans due to the increase in traffic in a remote location, while two public objections warned about the potential 'intense' use of the site and the fact that the business has been operating without planning permission. According to the approved plans, the resort will host up to eight overnight guests and 12 day visitors at any one time, and it will employ 12 people, including 11 part-time and one full-time staff member.
