An ambitious scheme to create six luxury treehouses at a North East hotel has been given the green light by council chiefs.
Durham County Council has given planning permission for Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa to build the unique accommodation behind one of its golf courses.
Construction work is set to begin in February 2018, with the first three treehouses expected to open next June.
The plan is the latest multi-million pound development for the Durham hotel, and owner, John Adamson, said it would be a huge attraction for visitors to the area.
“We are delighted that Durham County Council has given us the go-ahead to start work on our new treehouses, which will be totally unlike anything else the region currently has to offer,” he said.
“Work will start in February on the first three, and we expect to be able to welcome our first visitors in June. We have worked very hard on the design and it is going to be fantastic to finally see them start to take shape.”
Built on stilts, the treehouses will each feature two bedrooms, a private living room and a state-of-the-art bathroom complete with a free-standing copper bath.
They will give guests unrivalled views over the 18th fairway and green of the Prince Bishops golf course, and will benefit from lots of windows to allow maximum natural light.
The treehouses will be the latest in a string of big developments at the family-owned hotel, which has created an additional wing, a second championship golf course and its award-winning spa in recent years.
“We have been very particular about the design of the new treehouses – we wanted to be sympathetic to the surroundings and have chosen renewable materials where we could,” added Mr Adamson.
“Now that permission has been granted, we can get on with creating this wonderful new addition to our hotel, which we are confident will be very popular. We are looking forward to giving visitors something they’ve never seen before.
“The treehouses will enhance the facilities we already have here at Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa, and we are all very excited about being able to welcome our first treehouse guests next summer.
For further information about Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa visit www.ramsidehallhotel.co.uk