How ‘the lady of the manor’ sold her family’s estate for £25million – and now its earmarked as the site for an entire TOWN with 20,000 homes
A grand mansion from Saxon times, it was sold for £25 million in 2023.
But it has been revealed that the Adlington estate in Cheshire has been earmarked as the site of an entirely new town of up to 20,000 homes; This infuriates the local people.
Camilla Legh, lady of the manor, pocketed a hefty sum when she sold her family’s 700-year-old home to developers and could make millions more if the plans go ahead.
The 2,000-acre site was unexpectedly chosen as the site of one of a dozen new towns created under a flagship government plan backed by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
Adlington lies on the edge of the affluent ‘golden triangle’ suburban belt of Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Prestbury, which is home to multimillionaire footballers and celebrities. Much of the land is green belt, which means it is difficult to obtain planning permission to build houses.
However, these rules are being eliminated within the scope of the new town project, despite the anger of the residents.
The site makes up the bulk of the 2,400 acres selected for new homes. The central building is the magnificent Grade I listed Adlington Hall, built by the Legh family in the late 15th century.
The hall was built on the site of a Saxon hunting lodge that became a Norman property before passing to the ancestors of the Legh family through Henry III in the 13th century.
It has been revealed that the Adlington estate in Cheshire (pictured) has been identified as the site of an entirely new town of up to 20,000 homes; This infuriates the local people
Lady of the manor Camilla Legh (pictured) pocketed a hefty sum when she sold her family’s 700-year-old home to developers – and could make millions more if the plans go ahead
The 2,000-acre site was unexpectedly chosen as the site of one of a dozen new towns. Image: Adlington Hall
The Leghs kept it until a 2023 sale to developer Belport.
The hall is unlikely to be affected given its listed status, but there is no doubt the plans will affect the rest of the estate, which includes six farms, 22 houses and cottages.
Documents seen by the Daily Mail show Ms Legh, 65, is entitled to 30 per cent of any net increase in the value of the property if it is developed ‘as a result of planning permission for alternative use’, such as new housing, within 30 years.
Even if only a fraction of the estimated 14,000 to 20,000 homes are built, that means facing a much larger windfall, real estate experts say.
Locals around the proposed new town, where cattle and sheep currently graze, are angry. One said: ‘This is scandalous. Our livelihoods are being taken away from us; ‘We produce food for the country on some of the most productive land on the edge of the Peak District.’
Farmers are worried about their land being taken away through compulsory purchase orders. Resident Aysha Hawcutt said: ‘This is not a Nimby issue. ‘As a nation we need to worry about green belt loss.’
Then-housing minister Ms Rayner launched the project to create 12 new towns last year as part of the £39bn taxpayer-funded Social and Affordable Housing Program – a ten-year plan to build 300,000 homes.
Brownfield sites in London and Manchester have also been allocated.
There is no suggestion that Belport or Ms Legh were aware of plans for a new town before the deal was agreed in 2023.
A spokesman for Belport said it bought Adlington Hall as a ‘long-term investment opportunity’ and that neither party could foresee the new town plan.
The spokesman added: ‘We recognize there will be concerns about the impact on green spaces and farmland.’
Ms Legh has also been contacted for comment.
