The old police training college at Bramshill is regarded as one of the most important historic buildings in the country, a fabulous Jacobean mansion, set within its designed garden and parkland. It is unusually well preserved. The house was built to accommodate the king on royal progress and was designed to provide royal and family apartments and included public and private rooms. The provision of either one or two full state apartments was rare; and Bramshill is only one of three houses built during the Jacobean period to have dual state apartments for the king and queen.

The mansion and its grounds were sold to City & Country in 2016. Six planning applications, proposing different uses for the mansion and residential development in its parkland, were submitted to Hart District Council soon after. All planning applications were refused, on grounds which included the heritage impact of the proposals. The subsequent appeals (together with associated enforcement notice appeals) were heard at an inquiry which spanned several weeks at the beginning of 2018.

Consistent with the advice of rule 6 parties The National Trust and Historic England, the Inspector granted planning permission for the reuse of the building as a single residence, and planning permission for its reuse for offices; all the other planning appeals were dismissed. The National Trust has a particular interest in (and knowledge of) Bramshill because it has the benefit of a restrictive covenant, which provides control over changes to the mansion.

Simon Bird Q.C. and Isabella Tafur represented the local planning authority Hart District Council.