The Rolle Estate Office

The Estate was established in Devon in the 16th Century and since that time has always managed its operations from a base within its geographical boundaries.

The Estate has a planning horizon of at least two generations and decisions taken today will have far-reaching implications for those who will be managing the business and using the land in 50 to 100 years time. The decision making process regarding establishing a new location and premises for the Rolle Estate Office was therefore undertaken with the long term sustainability of the Estate in mind and was not taken lightly.

Compelling operational imperatives required the Estate to operate from premises which would provide 21st Century facilities from which to manage its complex countryside business. The challenge was to deliver significant productivity improvements, attract and retain high quality employees and visibly demonstrate the principles of responsible stewardship. A decision was made to vacate the current premises, which were contained within an old house where the scope for improvement and modernisation was severely limited, and relocate.

Throughout the process of searching for a suitable site a core principle has been to identify a location which was central to the day-to-day running of the Estate. This would allow vehicle movements and distances travelled to be minimised and reflect the ethos and values of a forward thinking, responsible countryside business.

Planning policy to conserve the countryside for its own sake; to preserve the protected landscape (most of the Estate falls within the East Devon AONB) and specific business circumstances all needed to be considered carefully and balanced during the search process. This proved to be difficult to achieve until the combinations of factors were brought together in the final proposal.

The conclusion was that Bicton Arena represented the best and most suitable location for the new land management centre. This location also provided the opportunity to revitalise and reinstate a significant part of an 18th Century Listed Parkland as well as re-establishing a strong historic link between the Estate and its original centre of operations.

For in-depth detail on the New Rolle Estate office, view 'Realising the Dream' brochure