Case Study

A client approached us about their large, detached house set within a substantial garden in a small village.

The maintenance of their garden was proving to be expensive, hard work. Our client wished to reduce the upkeep of the property and grounds, as well as releasing some capital.

We visited the site and recognised that there was potential for development. The site was large enough to accommodate a new house with ample garden and parking. An important consideration, was that the site was a ‘sustainable location’, due to its position within the recognised development boundary for the village, and had a range of amenities to support a new home.

We also identified that the access to the site was quite narrow and joined a single-track road with poor visibility, which could be a constraint to any development of the site. With this constraint in mind, we proposed to the client that we undertake a feasibility design stage (initial sketches on an OS map) followed up with a Pre-Application Enquiry.

In order to receive the best advice possible, we included a site plan showing how the new home would sit within the site, how views currently enjoyed by the existing dwelling could be maintained, and where access, parking, and garden areas would be laid out for each building.
Following the submission of the Pre-Application Enquiry, we met with the allocated case officer on the site and talked through our scheme.
The formal written feedback from the case officer highlighted that the site was located in a ‘sustainable location’, and so the principle of development was supported. The access to and from both properties was not considered to be a constraint, as there would only be one extra house and so would not increase traffic significantly. Additionally, the visibility was deemed to be adequate, as the traffic using the adjoining road was fairly light. Guidance was given regarding the scale and appearance of the new home, and also to ensure that the design of the new house would not cause any overlooking issues into the existing, or neighbouring, properties.

We prepared a full Planning Application for submission, referring, in the drawings and the supporting written documents, to the Pre-Application Advice given and how the issues raised had been resolved through the design process. The Planning Application was approved with no requirement for negotiation, or having to amend the scheme.
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By utilising the Pre-Application process, our client was able to move forward with confidence to a full Planning Application. 3HW used the guidance provided by the case officer to mitigate any design issues and constraints, which led to a successful outcome. The client realised their own goals of reducing their maintenance needs and releasing capital by selling the plot for an excess of £100k, with negligible reduction in value to the original house, against an outlay of around £6k on professional and application fees.