EXCLUSIVEJennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmondson's Absolutely Fabulous plans to turn £2million Dartmoor mansion into dream home complete with garden pavilion and pottery workshop are APPROVED after council row
Married British comedians Jennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmondson have won a six-month-long planning row to renovate their dream home.
The country's funniest couple have lived at their sprawling Grade II-listed £2million manor house in Dartmoor National Park for some 30 years.
The stone house features a huge garden, a swimming pool and its own separate cottage amongst a host of other luxuries.
But Saunders and Edmondson, who had been balancing their time between London and the countryside, have now received planning approval to give the mansion a makeover as they eye a more permanent life in Devon 'to better suit their current needs and lifestyles'.
The Absolutely Fabulous couple had submitted an initial planning application to Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority in August 2024 detailing plans for significant a significant renovation but became embroiled in a dispute.
The comedians' plans had looked to 'reinforce the setting and significance' of their plush property, before a building conservation officer hit back at their proposal. In a statement included in the planning application, the officer argued the proposed changes would have 'no benefit' to the public.
'As the application currently stands the impact of the proposals on the significance of the listed buildings and their setting has not been minimised,' the officer continued.
However, after six months of consultation with the local authority, Edmondson and Saunders have finally received 'conditional approval' to begin construction on their dream retirement home.
Adrian Edmondson and Jennifer Saunders have been given planning approval to improve their £2million Dartmoor manor house (pictured)
Saunders and Edmondson will celebrate 40 years of marriage this year after tying the knot in 1985
The stone house features a huge garden, a swimming pool and its own separate cottage amongst a host of other luxuries
Amongst a host of alterations, the married pair will soon be able to enjoy a new 'dedicated pottery workspace', a plush new garden pavilion and some new EV chargers for their Tesla motor.
Described as a 'space to facilitate the clients personal interests' in the planning application, the pottery workshop will be a place in which the pair can enjoy what is described as their 'hobby'.
To be erected at the bottom of the couple's sprawling garden, a brand new 'oak frame garden pavilion' will offer Saunders and Edmonson a 'covered outdoor dining space' in a 'discrete location.'
And in changes which the TV stars reportedly hope will take cars away from their home, the couple will be able to park their vehicles away from view in a designated car parking building which will come complete with EV charging points.
'A site wide energy strategy' has also been developed to preserve the property which includes 'some of the earliest recorded ancient tenements.'
Saunders and Edmonson are to have solar panels installed as well as a 'hybrid system using air source heat pumps' to wean the residence off the use of fossil fuel.
Pictures show the manor house's picturesque and spacious garden
The couple will be able to charge their Tesla motor using a brand new EV charger which will be situated near the property's greenhouse
Sketches included in the planning application show the couple's plans for a new pottery workshop (pictured on the left of the top picture) and a new space to park their cars
Less significant improvements to the already impressive property include the erection of a number of new radiators, windows and some new internal pipe work.
A statement issued by Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority to MailOnline following their decision to grant 'conditional approval' to the application read: 'All planning applications undergo a review process in which DNPA officers evaluate whether the proposal meets the requirements of the Dartmoor Local Plan.
'Regarding the application you have enquired about, consultation responses were considered, and officers have worked proactively to find solutions which resulted in the application being considered acceptable.'
Works to improve the £2million country manor house are expected to begin soon.
The couple are planning to build a brand new oak frame garden pavilion at the bottom of their huge garden (pictured)
Edmondson made his name as Vyvyan on The Young Ones from 1982 to 1984. Pictured left to right: Christopher Ryan as Mike, Rik Mayall as Rick, Adrian Edmondson as Vyvyan and Nigel Planer as Neil on the show
Saunders (left), who played Eddie, and her co-star Joanna Lumley (right), who played Patsy, turned the Absolutely Fabulous characters into cult heroes
News of the local authority's approval of their renovation plans comes in a year where Saunders and Edmondson will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, having married in 1985.
Dubbed the country's funniest couple, the pair have three children - Ella, Beattie and Freya - and initially bought the Dartmoor mansion as a holiday retreat.
But as the comedians continue to 'reduce the amount of time' they spend away from the home, Saunders and Edmondson are now likely to make the manor more of a permanent residence.
Representatives of Jennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmondson failed to respond to MailOnline's request for a comment.
