Descendants of society diarist Henry 'Chips' Channon are locked in row with neighbours over noisy motocross track on his 'tranquil' country estate

Society diarist Henry 'Chips' Channon called his multi-million pound Essex estate a 'dream of quiet well-bred tranquillity' – but his descendants now want permission for as many as 20 motocross bikes to roar around its grounds.

Kelvedon Hall is at the centre of a planning row over two tracks and three buildings that were put up without permission.

The estate has applied retrospectively to Brentwood Council to keep the facilities, which are already being used for riding sessions.

Planning papers say the tracks currently operate on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 3pm.

The application also seeks permission for more frequent use, including private and corporate sessions.

Those behind the scheme had believed the activity could take place for up to 28 days a year without planning permission.

But the council became involved after a noise complaint in April.

Kelvedon Hatch Parish Council discussed the issue at a meeting that month and said the motocross operation could potentially amount to a statutory noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

A motocross track at Kelvedon Hall in Essex is at the centre of a planning row 

Kelvedon Hall is home to The Right Track, a scheme using motocross and other activities to work with young people, including offenders and those at risk of offending

The grand mansion was built in 1743 and sits in the Essex countryside

Tests at the estate involved eight motocross bikes, while consultants also modelled the impact of up to 20 being used at once.

The row has already hit plans for The Only Way Is SX, a planned motocross event that had been due to take place at the estate.

It had been slated as 'one of the biggest family-friendly motorsport events of the year'. 

But organisers announced it had been postponed until 2027 while the planning issue is resolved.

Kelvedon Hall is also home to The Right Track, a scheme using motocross and other activities to work with young people, including offenders and those at risk of offending.

Essex Police has previously praised the project as a 'great opportunity' for youngsters.

The Grade I-listed Georgian mansion was bought by Channon in 1937 after he went looking for a country house close to his Southend constituency.

The American-born Conservative MP and socialite quickly fell in love with Kelvedon and began restoring it with his friend Gerald Wellesley, an architect and heir to the Dukedom of Wellington.

Just before buying it, Channon wrote in his diary: 'The place is a dream of quiet well-bred tranquillity.'

He returned to Kelvedon repeatedly in his diaries and later wrote that it was looking 'a dream of vernal lush beauty'.

The Grade I-listed Georgian mansion was bought by Henry 'Chips' Channon in 1937 after he went looking for a country house close to his Southend constituency

Just before buying it, Channon wrote in his diary: 'The place is a dream of quiet well-bred tranquillity'

He also described it as 'perfection, a paradise for Paul', referring to his son. 

The grand mansion was built in 1743 and sits in the Essex countryside.

Its red-brick main house has a three-storey central block flanked by wings and still contains much of its historic interior, including ornate reception rooms, a private chapel and Adam-style decoration.

The estate also includes historic outbuildings, a stable block, orangery and an imposing entrance lodge added during Channon's restoration of the property.

Channon was one of the best-connected figures in pre-war British society and his diaries became famous after his death for their indiscreet accounts of royalty, politicians and aristocrats.

He moved in circles that included Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.

His parties were equally lavish.

He wrote of women arriving 'dripping with jewels', while guests were said to have been served cocktails laced with Benzedrine.

Kelvedon became one of the great loves of his life and he continued writing about it until his death in 1958.

Plans for the site have been submitted to the local council for consideration 

The estate then passed to his son Paul, later Lord Kelvedon, and later to Paul's son Henry.

After Henry died aged 51 in 2021, it passed to his widow Katie Channon, who now owns the estate.

The Channon family are connected to the Guinness brewing dynasty through marriage.