Sudbury’s Belle Vue House placed back on market in fresh hurdle for restoration plans

The restoration of a historic Sudbury property has hit yet another stumbling block, after being placed back on the market.

Belle Vue House has been listed for sale via estate agents Chapman Stickels, after developer McCabe & Abel indicated it was no longer in a position to proceed with its plans for the site.

Less than 12 months ago, the restoration specialists reached an agreement with Babergh District Council to purchase the iconic Victorian building, before securing planning permission to adapt it into two homes.

This was only a year after a sale had been agreed with Churchill Retirement Living, only for that deal to collapse when Churchill’s planning application for the site was rejected.

However, on Friday, Belle Vue House appeared on the online marketplace Rightmove, with a guide price of £1.1 million, and described as a “unique opportunity to convert one of Sudbury’s most iconic period buildings”.

Vacant since 2016, the property has significantly deteriorated in recent years, and requires urgent repairs.

This week, Babergh District Council confirmed that, as the sale to McCabe & Abel was completed, this latest listing would not affect the authority’s plans for the rest of Belle Vue Park.

“Belle Vue House is a prominent local landmark in need of renovation, and we sold it to McCabe and Abel as part of our wider plans to regenerate Belle Vue Park,” a council spokesperson said.

“The sale happened last summer, and we were pleased to grant planning permission for a sensitive restoration and conversion in November. Therefore, it would be disappointing if McCabe and Abel did not continue with its plans to redevelop it.

“Should it be sold, any future owner of this much-loved building would have to ensure restoration work was in line with planning permission, to a standard befitting its prominence and importance.

“In the meantime, we will continue to focus on our plans for Belle Vue Park, including a new cafe and toilets, which will open later this year.”