Green Belt Success

We are pleased to have secured full planning permission for the demolition of existing agricultural buildings and the erection of a new five-bedroom detached dwelling.

The scheme represents a successful outcome on a sensitive rural site located within the Green Belt, open countryside, and a Special Landscape Area. The application followed detailed pre-application discussions with the Council and was prepared as a more appropriate alternative to an extant Class Q Prior Approval, which already allowed the conversion of an existing agricultural barn into two dwellings.

We were able to demonstrate that the approved scheme delivers a more sensitive and sustainable outcome than the fallback position of the extant Class Q Prior Approval. Instead of retaining and converting the existing agricultural buildings, the proposal allows for their removal and replacement with a single, high-quality dwelling resulting in a substantial reduction in built form, including a reduction in footprint, gross internal area, building volume and hardstanding when compared with the existing buildings and fallback scheme.

This reduction in built form was central to demonstrating that the proposal would improve the openness of the Green Belt. Although the proposal constituted inappropriate development in the Green Belt, the benefits of the proposal, when compared with the fallback position, were advanced as very special circumstances sufficient to outweigh the identified harm and was given significant weight in the planning balance.

The design of the dwelling was also carefully developed in response to the Council’s pre-application comments. Earlier concerns regarding scale, suburban appearance and encroachment into the countryside were addressed through a comprehensive redesign. The approved scheme adopts a simplified, rural architectural form and floor plan, reduced height, traditional detailing and a more contained domestic curtilage.

The proposal also delivers landscape and environmental benefits. The removal of extensive agricultural hardstanding and the creation of new garden and landscaped areas provide opportunities for enhanced green infrastructure, native planting and biodiversity improvements. The submitted biodiversity information demonstrated a significant on-site biodiversity net gain opportunity, supported by a reduction in hard surfacing and increased soft landscaping.

Ecology was another important consideration. The application was supported by a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, including updated bat survey work. The approved scheme incorporates mitigation for protected species, including replacement bat roost provision. The application also successfully addressed technical matters including drainage, flood risk and contaminated land.

Overall, the permission is a strong example of how a carefully evidenced fallback case, combined with high-quality design and a detailed understanding of Green Belt policy, can unlock a better planning outcome. The approved scheme will deliver a single high-quality family dwelling while reducing built form, improving the site’s appearance, enhancing biodiversity opportunities and providing a more sensitive alternative to the previously approved Class Q conversion scheme.

#PlanningPermission #GreenBelt #TownPlanning #PlanningConsultants #Architecture #RuralDevelopment #ClassQ #VerySpecialCircumstances #PlanningStrategy #ResidentialDevelopment #CountrysideDevelopment #BiodiversityNetGain #LandscapeDesign #PropertyDevelopment #TylerParkes