A MILLIONAIRE businessman has abandoned plans to seek permission for renovation work which he has already carried out on an historic building.

Mike Holland has told planning officials he now intends to restore part of the listed Stanmer Park stable blocks to its former state instead. 

The news comes after The Argus reported on Monday that the property mogul was seeking retrospective planning permission for work on the 300-year-old building which had already gone ahead.

Two applications were due to be considered by members of the South Downs National Park Authority tomorrow morning.

The committee was due to decide whether the work, which transformed the stable into a studio flat, should be permitted.

In documents submitted to the authority, Holland also asked to use part of the building previously outlined for a bike store to be used as part of the homes.

Planning officers had recommended both applications be refused on the grounds the conversion work resulted in “detrimental impact” to the building.

But it since emerged Holland's agent then withdrew the application on Monday afternoon.

He has now been given a deadline of the end of September to submit plans for the restoration or face further prosecution.

Tim Slaney, director of planning for the South Downs National Park Authority, said: "We are pleased the applicant has withdrawn these applications and advised us they intend to restore that part of the listed building to its former state.

"We have asked the applicant to submit the necessary listed building application to allow this work to take place and encourage them to work closely with us to make sure that restoration is as accurate as possible.

"We take breaches of planning seriously and have advised that should the applicant fail to submit this application by the end of September we will consider taking further legal action."

The news comes as the 69-year-old property mogul is being separately prosecuted by the authority over accusations he carried out work on the Grade II* listed stable block without permission.

Holland, of King’s Road, Brighton, was due to appear in court on Friday to answer the criminal charges under planning laws.

But the hearing at Worthing Magistrates’ Court was adjourned until November because his legal team asked for more time, a spokeswoman for the authority said.

He is facing one charge of demolishing, altering or extending the building which affected its listed character.

The authority alleges between January 28, 2013, and April 22, 2015, he was behind work which affected the 1720s stable block’s character.

The offence is punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine.

Planning consent was granted in 2013 for eight flats with the condition that part of the stables remain. Then Historic England recommended the authority consider prosecution over alleged unauthorised work in the conversion. At the time Holland said it was always the intention to apply for retrospective permission.