A Home for Art and Cars
The main house is a Grade II* listed house. The site also contained a separately listed cottage & Walled Garden (both Grade II) and is partially located in an area of Archaeological Significance; a Conservation Area; a locally designated area of green space; and the Metropolitan Green belt.
Adjacent to the main house and walled garden was an existing modern, detached double garage, which was undersized and had an awkward approach in to it. This meant that, realistically, only a single car could be parked in it.
The property owner wanted a larger garage with better access and a dedicated space for their main hobby. I was appointed to provide planning advice & architectural design services to provide a new garage & art studio outbuilding. I also advised on the replacement vehicle gate and various repairs to the main house and cottage.
The variety of planning designations on the site all required careful consideration when preparing the proposed design. Having discussed the client's requirements, l prepared a combined use outbuilding, set away from the main house and other listed structures, to replace the existing garage.
This scheme was submitted for pre-application (Pre-App) advice. The pre-app response was positive in respect of the design and its relationship to the Listed structures on the site, particularly given existing established planting around the property's garden.
However, the initial scheme sat fully in the Metropolitan Green belt and the Local Planning Authority (LPA) felt that the construction of a new building in this location was inappropriate and should be reconsidered.
While some areas of the site were outside the Green belt boundary, I was mindful that they were much closer to the main house and the other listed structures.
The most logical alternative location, was nearer the main house and cottage. As such, I wanted to reduce the outbuilding’s overall mass and concluded that I would need to change the design of the building and separate its two functions.
I repurposed the existing garage for the art studio space. Given its existing flat roof form I clad the brickwork with vertical timber boards. This gave a more contemporary feel and its own identity, distinct from the adjacent heritage assets, while still providing a subservient appearance to the house.
In light of the pre-app comments, I retained a vernacular form and traditional cladding and roofing materials for the garage outbuilding. The garage’s revised position was constrained by existing established yew hedging, specifically mentioned in the local authority’s Supplementary Planning Document for Non-designated Parks and Gardens. This constraint combined with the arbitrary and irregular route of the Green belt boundary across the property's garden, meant that part of the garage still projected into the Green belt.
I identified in the planning application documents, that the route of the Green belt boundary didn't follow national planning guidance, nor was the plotted route on the district plan map consistent with the description or route taken around other adjacent gardens. The LPA accepted my explanation that, in practical terms, the partial encroachment of the proposal did not adversely affect any of Green belt’s five purposes, nor affect the openness of the Green belt. The scheme also respected the setting of the listed structures and other planning designations on the site.I attained planning permission for both elements of the scheme. Following the planning stage I developed the scheme to detailed design & specification. I then oversaw the tendering of the project and managed the project on site under a formal building contract. At times this was challenging due to the covid pandemic restrictions and external macro economic pressures on building materials.
The scheme highlighted the benefits of the pre-app planning process, particularly for sites with listed buildings and multiple planning designations. l feel that both the new buildings sit harmoniously adjacent to the listed structures on the site and I am pleased that, despite the fairly lengthy planning stage, the client was very happy with both of them.
Project reference code 214.
A Home for Art and Cars
The main house is a Grade II* listed house. The site also contained a separately listed cottage & Walled Garden (both Grade II) and is partially located in an area of Archaeological Significance; a Conservation Area; a locally designated area of green space; and the Metropolitan Green belt.
Adjacent to the main house and walled garden was an existing modern, detached double garage, which was undersized and had an awkward approach in to it. This meant that, realistically, only a single car could be parked in it.
The property owner wanted a larger garage with better access and a dedicated space for their main hobby. I was appointed to provide planning advice & architectural design services to provide a new garage & art studio outbuilding. I also advised on the replacement vehicle gate and various repairs to the main house and cottage.
The variety of planning designations on the site all required careful consideration when preparing the proposed design. Having discussed the client's requirements, l prepared a combined use outbuilding, set away from the main house and other listed structures, to replace the existing garage.
This scheme was submitted for pre-application (Pre-App) advice. The pre-app response was positive in respect of the design and its relationship to the Listed structures on the site, particularly given existing established planting around the property's garden.
However, the initial scheme sat fully in the Metropolitan Green belt and the Local Planning Authority (LPA) felt that the construction of a new building in this location was inappropriate and should be reconsidered.
While some areas of the site were outside the Green belt boundary, I was mindful that they were much closer to the main house and the other listed structures.
The most logical alternative location, was nearer the main house and cottage. As such, I wanted to reduce the outbuilding’s overall mass and concluded that I would need to change the design of the building and separate its two functions.
I repurposed the existing garage for the art studio space. Given its existing flat roof form I clad the brickwork with vertical timber boards. This gave a more contemporary feel and its own identity, distinct from the adjacent heritage assets, while still providing a subservient appearance to the house.
In light of the pre-app comments, I retained a vernacular form and traditional cladding and roofing materials for the garage outbuilding. The garage’s revised position was constrained by existing established yew hedging, specifically mentioned in the local authority’s Supplementary Planning Document for Non-designated Parks and Gardens. This constraint combined with the arbitrary and irregular route of the Green belt boundary across the property's garden, meant that part of the garage still projected into the Green belt.
I identified in the planning application documents, that the route of the Green belt boundary didn't follow national planning guidance, nor was the plotted route on the district plan map consistent with the description or route taken around other adjacent gardens. The LPA accepted my explanation that, in practical terms, the partial encroachment of the proposal did not adversely affect any of Green belt’s five purposes, nor affect the openness of the Green belt. The scheme also respected the setting of the listed structures and other planning designations on the site.I attained planning permission for both elements of the scheme. Following the planning stage I developed the scheme to detailed design & specification. I then oversaw the tendering of the project and managed the project on site under a formal building contract. At times this was challenging due to the covid pandemic restrictions and external macro economic pressures on building materials.
The scheme highlighted the benefits of the pre-app planning process, particularly for sites with listed buildings and multiple planning designations. l feel that both the new buildings sit harmoniously adjacent to the listed structures on the site and I am pleased that, despite the fairly lengthy planning stage, the client was very happy with both of them.
Project reference code 214.
