Huge plans for hotel and spa have 'not been abandoned'

The Pig’s CEO says an update will be given ‘as soon as there is clarity on next steps’

The Pig Hotels company has told Tunbridge Wells Borough Council its plans for a 56-bed hotel at moated manor house Groombridge Place have “not been abandoned”. As KentLive first reported in April 2023, the company revealed it would open a hotel in the 17th century Grade I-listed manor house in Groombridge, near Tunbridge Wells.

It said at the time it was “excited to acquire two genuinely unspoilt gems”, the other being at Stratford-upon-Avon. And Groombridge Place certainly was a gem, set in 106 acres with its dreamy private home, mill pond and formal walled gardens.

It has a special place in many local people’s hearts as, although the home was not open for viewing, the rest was a popular family visitor attraction with a little zoo, other animals, woods and land to explore. In November 2024, The Pig submitted huge plans for a 56-bed hotel, two restaurants and a spa.

The proposal also included a yoga pavilion, another 78-cover vineyard restaurant with pizza ovens, guest huts, sauna huts, and a hydro pool. The Pig said if plans were approved, the hotel would open in 2026.

There had been no updates on the planning application since March 2025, but the chief executive officer of The Pig, Kevin Styles, has now written a letter to the council. He said since a “consensus on the direction of travel” had been reached between the council planners and conservation officers, Historic England and others, The Pig had been “undertaking a broader review of our position in relation to the site”, which had “inevitably meant that progress on the requested amendments had been slower than anticipated”.

He said: “At this stage, we are not in a position to provide a definitive update on the timetable for progressing the amendments, but please be assured that the application has not been abandoned. As soon as there is greater clarity on next steps, we will share a meaningful update and discuss how best to move forward with the council.”

Referring to security of the site and its condition, and in light of the slower than expected progress by The Pig, Mr Styles told the council: “That said, we would like to reassure you that the property is being actively monitored and managed in the interim. Caretakers remain on site, and maintenance and weatherproofing measures are kept under close review to ensure the buildings are protected while the future of the site is considered.”

In his letter, Mr Styles told the council to flag up any “specific concerns” about the condition of specific structures on the site which the authority felt needed “immediate attention”, and The Pig would review them “promptly”. The Pig’s plans for Groombridge Place also included extensions to the main barn and stables, building car parking, polytunnels, a glasshouse and other works.

There would be acres of vegetable and fruit growing, a mushroom growing house and an on-site smokery, along with sheep, hens, quail and pigs, at Groombridge Place, according to the application. Interestingly, the River Grom flows through the site, forming the boundary between Kent and East Sussex.

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