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England’s ‘highest’ whisky distillery gets go-ahead
Princetown Distillers has been given the green light to build what is thought to be the highest distillery in the British Isles.
Plans for a distillery in the village of Princetown, in Dartmoor were approved last Friday
In a planning meeting held on Friday (7 April), Dartmoor National Park approved plans for the £4 million whisky distillery, visitor centre and “small-scale” spirits store in the village of Princetown in Dartmoor, Devon.
The plans came under fire after local residents claimed the design was “too Scottish”, bringing in 47 letters of rejection and five letters of support.
The distillery plans received criticism from The Dartmoor Society, as it will demolish two “unique” historical structures in the village. However, the committee deemed that the “significance of the assets” assessed against the planning merits of the scheme justify the loss of the buildings.
The report from the meeting concludes: “The proposal would bring economic benefits; providing new jobs and contributing to the existing tourism offer, providing opportunities for linked trips and spending in Princetown.
“The proposal presents a substantial development which will have an impact on the character and appearance of this edge of the settlement, but one that will have a positive economic benefit for Princetown and its tourism offer and is acceptable in all other planning respects”.
The Princetown distillery will produce “Scotch-style” whisky and use Dartmoor water to make the spirit.
At 1,400 feet above sea level it would be the highest distillery in the UK, which Princetown said makes it ideal for the production and maturation of whisky.