Newsletter - February 2010

Consent for herdsman’s dwelling in rural Staffordshire

PDP recently obtained outline planning consent for the construction of a new herdsman’s dwelling on a 190 acre farm in East Staffordshire.

New dwellings in the open countryside are very strictly controlled by planning policy, however an allowance is occasionally made where there is an essential requirement for a new dwelling to support an established agricultural enterprise.

The farm already contained a dwelling, occupied by the applicant and his wife, however the applicants son was having to commute 16 miles daily in order to fulfil his role as chief herdsman. The application argued that there was a functional requirement for a chief herdsman to be on site 24 hours a day, and that it was unreasonable to expect the applicant, who also worked full time on the farm, to vacate his home in order to provide the required accommodation.

An agricultural appraisal was submitted with the application, to demonstrate the functional need, an assessment of alternative sites, to demonstrate that the site chosen was the most suitable on the holding, and a design and access statement which included case law relevant to the scenario.
The outline approval secures the scale and siting of the new dwelling. Indicative plans which were submitted as part of the application showed a 150 sqm, 3 bedroom detached dwelling with a private garden and detached garage / storage building.

Newsletter - February 2010

PDP wins approval for a new shop, office tea rooms and commercial kitchen on a caravan park in near Buxton

Cloverfields Caravan Park lies to the south west of Buxton, close to Harpur Hill. PDP obtained planning permission in 2003 for 25 pitches and a toilet block. In the last few years we have obtained further planning permissions to extend the operation and the site now has 45 caravan pitches, a camping field for up to 50 pitches, amenity areas and a toilet/washroom block.

The site is operated to a high standard and has an excellent reputation for customer service and with its growth has come a need for new facilities to meet the needs of caravanners, campers and the wider area.

Following discussions with the client it was agreed that the shop, office, tea rooms, toilets and kitchen could all be placed under one roof in a single amenities block. The tea room would also double up as a meeting space for the many group and societies which use the site. The kitchen is designed as a commercial kitchen which will service both the tea rooms but will also provide a range of pre-prepared meals for caravanners and campers which will be sold in the shop and distributed to local retail outlets. The office will replace the owners own home which until now has served the needs of the site.

The building was designed by Jonathan Jenkin from PDP as a timber clad building with veranda providing a meeting space by the entrance to the shop and office, and in keeping with the other approved buildings on the caravan site. The design provides full disabled access to all spaces; the tea rooms benefit from open views across the Derbyshire hills and have level access to a large grassed area at the side of the building which can be used for sitting and for meals in summer. The kitchen has its own separate entrance and vehicular access drive for deliveries and visitors. Attention was also paid to security, and shutters where incorporated into the design for all windows and doors.

The design was agreed in principle by the Area Planning Officer as part of a pre-planning consultation. The site is popular with local people, the applicants are well liked and the proposal did not attract any objections. The scheme was approved under delegated powers and work is expected to commence later in the year.
The amenities building is an example of a development which met and exceeded the clients brief because, through our involvement and discussion, the opportunities to add value became more and more apparent. There are so many linkages and this made the project exciting to work on. The design followed on from the functional needs of the client which as produced a building that is aesthetically pleasing, practical, and cost effective.

Newsletter - February 2010

Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the NEC in Birmingham on the 18th – 21st March 2010




Planning Design Practice are exhibiting at the Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the NEC in Birmingham on the 18th – 21st March 2010.

The event is the UK’s biggest self-build and renovation event and is crammed full of all the advice, ideas, inspiration and innovations you need to create the home of your dreams - all under one roof.

Planning Design Practice have 250 free tickets to the event to give away to new and existing clients. Should you wish to attend, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Don’t miss your opportunity to meet over 450 of the UK’s leading self-build and renovation companies and view the latest products, services and trends for building, renovating, extending or improving your home. Plus with more independent advice and educational content than ever before you are sure to pick up new ideas. No matter what stage you are at, no matter how many projects you have done before there is something for everyone. From budget to built it’s all covered at this event!

January 2010

PDP - Running 10k for Charity 11/04/10

The team at Planning Design Practice Ltd ran the Derby 10k race last year and had a great deal of fun training and competing in the event, however, this year we felt it would be good to have fun and make some money for a worthy cause at the same time. We've decided to race in aid of the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity that takes back lives from leukaemia. All we need now is your help and support; so if you feel like making a donation, just follow the link below.

http://www.justgiving.com/planningdesignpractice

January 2010

PDP wins approval for a new road access and outline consent for 5 dwellings in Littleover

The site lies south east of Littleover village centre and consists of two detached houses located within extensive grounds. The properties suffer from a narrow steep and dangerous access which prevents them from being upgraded and sold on. The gardens are so extensive that they long ago ceased to be fully managed and are overgrown. This is a classic sustainable urban site close to a wide range of amenities that should be developed in preference to edge of city locations.

The site contains important roadside trees which add to the amenity of the area and protect the site from road noise. In preparing proposals for the development of the land and the creation of the access, PDP and the applicant worked closely with an Arboricultural consultant. The consultant identified the most important trees, advised on root protection zones and appropriate pruning. The plans were then drawn up to maintain and protect the best trees on the site while allowing for an appropriate level of development. Trees can in our experience add significant value and should be integrated into a development whenever possible.

The City Council has recently adopted new highway standards and has incorporated new advice from the Government. In our experience when new policies are being operated which have not had time to bed down, differences in opinion can arise and in this case the planning approval was held up because of a difference of opinion between the head of highways and a leading councillor. After a two month delay the application was approved in accordance with the councillor’s wishes.

The access is expected to be built in the spring with the development of the five dwellings to follow on later as the housing market picks up. The access will serve the five new houses in addition to the two existing houses. The site also backs onto another parcel of undeveloped land and the layout makes an allowance for further development should it be possible in the future.

January 2010

New Year brings exciting challenges for PDP



The first month of 2010 has seen the Planning Design Practice commissioned to work on a number of exciting projects across Derbyshire and Staffordshire, as clients plan for the year ahead.

Projects commissioned and started this month include:

· A new housing development in a historic part of Chesterfield;
· A new industrial composting facility in the Derbyshire Dales;
· A new caravan park in the Peak District National Park;
· The conversion of Listed buildings in a Derbyshire Dales Conservation Area to residential accommodation;
· The construction of 12 affordable eco homes and a care home in Erewash;
· The construction of a toilet / amenity block and access track to serve fishing lakes in the Staffordshire Moorlands;
· The construction of 12 new homes in a Derby suburb

The team are looking forward to developing the proposals further in the coming weeks and months.