Rural Housing Development – Landowner – Suffolk – Parker Planning Services

RESULT  Following Parker Planning Services advice – Our client happily received Outline Planning Permission (some matters reserved) for the Erection of up to 3 Dwellings and Access (following demolition of the existing dwelling) 

BACKGROUND:  As the land-owner of a large bungalow occupying a central position on his plot of land, the client approached Parker Planning Services seeking guidance on making the best use of the available land.

PROPOSAL:  With Government policy encouraging the efficient use of land, our Chartered Planning Consultants in our Suffolk office quickly established that it would, in fact, be within policy guidelines to build up to three dwellings on the 0.2ha of land if the bungalow was demolished.

Being located within the settlement boundary of Great Blakenham, a Key Service Centre in Mid Suffolk’s Core Strategy , the principle of additional residential development was already established.

It would, however, be necessary to justify such a proposal as the Grade II listed Tollgate Farmhouse was located close to the site.   In addition, consent for access on to the site would need to be agreed.

OUR ADVICE:  The application site is surrounded by high density development,  presenting the opportunity for a new development to better reflect the character of the locality.

Our advice was to apply for outline planning permission for up to three dwellings and access, with all other matters such as design and lay out to be agreed at the Reserved Matters stage.

Access to the site needed careful consideration to ensure the required visibility splays could be achieved.  Our solution was to propose that land within the western visibility splay be shown as garden land at the Reserved Matters stage, with no built form allowed.

Arboriculture surveys showed the existing trees on the site were of relatively low quality and domestic in nature.  Any trees required to be removed during development of the site would be replaced as appropriate.

Our team further investigated the heritage impact considerations and historical importance of the Grade II listed Tollgate Farmhouse, located to the east of the site, found that it was originally part of a wider farm complex with ancillary outbuildings and arable land.  By 1978, the outbuildings had been demolished to make way for the bungalow now found on the application site and in 1996 consent was granted to build 97 dwellings.  Our view was that the setting of the historic farmhouse had already been severely degraded by the surrounding high density residential development and therefore the replacement of the bungalow for up to three dwellings would result in a very minor additional impact.

By carefully considering all aspects, and presenting a considered planning proposal and strategy – our planning consultants in Suffolk successfully secured planning permission on this rural development project.