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After 10 years of campaigning by the Undershaw Preservation Trust, the fate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s former Hindhead home has finally been set.

Members of the public, including the founder of the trust, John Gibson, went to the Waverley Borough Council offices in Godalming on Wednesday night and witnessed councillors vote unanimously in favour of an application to convert the building, designed by the Sherlock Holmes creator himself, into a school.

Initially welcoming of Stepping Stones school’s plans for the premises, Mr Gibson spoke in opposition of the proposals on Wednesday, but to no avail.

He fears that now this permission has been granted, some heritage features at Undershaw in Hindhead Road, including the stables and the well, will be at risk when the specifics of the development are arranged.

The building, constructed in 1896, was where Conan Doyle penned 13 tales about the famed detective Holmes, including The Hound of the Baskervilles.

It has been slowly deteriorating, and the Undershaw Preservation Trust has been fighting to raise awareness of the Grade II-listed building’s plight, pulling in the support of actors Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch, among others.

David Forbes-Nixon, whose son goes to Stepping Stones, which specialises in helping youngsters with disabilities, announced in April that the currently Tower Road-based school had exchanged contracts on Undershaw.

He announced the purchase through the DFN Foundation he started.

“It was a breath of fresh air finding Stepping Stones,” he said. “There is quite a lot of work to do but this is an extraordinary opportunity to build a world class gold standard special needs school.”

Undershaw will become Stepping Stones’ upper school, for people aged 13 to 18 and the current school building will become the junior school, for people aged eight to 13. It is intended that it will be opened up to members of the public to have a look around, during holidays.

At Wednesday’s meeting the CEO of Stepping Stones, Norman Stromsoy, announced that the organisation’s plans for Undershaw had the backing of two of Conan Doyle’s relatives, including Richard Doyle, great nephew of the famous author.

He wrote in a letter to Stepping Stones: “I don’t believe that Undershaw should be preserved in aspic, but lived in and laughed in.”

He continued: “If it is possible for some of this magical, special building to become the heart of a new school that contributes to the thriving community of Hindhead then I would be very happy.”

Mt Stromsoy said: “Our small school has outgrown our current accommodation and limited facilities as demand for our services has increased.

“We are now in the terrible position of having to turn away children who we should be helping, due to a lack of suitable accommodation.

“This application, if approved, will enable us to help more children support their families and develop new services for young people with disabilities and learning difficulties.

“Our children and their families have asked us to deliver a school that feels like home.

“What better home can we provide than Undershaw?”

During the committee members’ debate on Wednesday, some of the councillors paid tribute to Mr Gibson and his hard work over the years, and Mr Stromsoy approached him to offer that the pair continue their dialogue from now on.

Mr Stromsoy concluded his speech by saying: “Under our plans Undershaw will not become a museum, but a living testament to Conan Doyle’s care for his disabled wife and to our work with many disabled children, who will enjoy and use this remarkable building for many years to come.”

A representative from Haslemere Town Council also spoke in support of the plans.

Recent proposals to increase the listed status of Undershaw were denied by English Heritage.