Our latest planning permission news from February:

New Build House Appeal Won

We recently won an appeal for a replacement house in Wiltshire.

Our clients approached us with a house on the edge of a rural village, wanting to create a family home. First, we submitted a pre-application enquiry to the council, in order to gauge how our plans would be received. The Council put a restriction on the size of any new house: it could not be more than 50% bigger than the existing house.

Next, we submitted a full application. Our design was over the 50% size limit, but not when taking into account the size increase allowed under permitted development.

There were a number of local objections from this small village to our plans, and so the application was refused. The Council thought the new house had an imposing, grand design. They were also concerned it would damage the local landscape and character of the village.

Our clients then asked us to appeal against the decision to the Planning Inspectorate. This can be a lengthy process, however in this instance it paid off, and we were granted planning permission in February 2020.

The Inspector acknowledged that our plans were outside of what was strictly allowed, however did not think that it would damage the local area. This is a great result for our clients, and we are pleased that we persevered with our plans.

Thatched Cottages Remodel Approved

We have achieved planning permission for extensions and remodelling of a thatched house near Highclere, on the Berkshire and Hampshire border.

This house used to be two semi-detached cottages. In 2019 we helped our clients obtain a Certificate of Lawfulness to use the building as a single house.

The next phase of the project was to extend and remodel the interior. The ground floor extension adds a generous vaulted sitting room and downstairs WC. The rest of the house required only minor alterations to create a charming 6-bedroom family home.

The house is viewed as a non-designated heritage asset by the Council, meaning it is an important part of local character even though it is not listed. Over the course of the application we negotiated and adapted our approach with the Council and their Conservation Officer. In the end, the Council agreed the changes were not harmful to the local area and planning permission was granted in February 2020.

Listed Building Extension with links to Jane Austen

We recently secured planning permission and listed building consent for works to a grade II listed country house. This grand house dates from the late 18th century and is well known for its links to Jane Austen, who used to visit the house.

Our clients wanted us to replace an existing extension. The room currently stops light from entering the rest of the house, and has limited practical use.

So we designed a light garden room which leads through to the kitchen and creates a very useable space. Also in the new extension is a boot room and cold store, again two practical spaces our clients will appreciate.

Due to the historic importance of this building, we had to approach the designs carefully. We decided to conduct a pre-application enquiry with the Council, which we supported with advice from a Heritage expert. Together we all reached a design that is suitable and protects its architectural interest. Planning permission was granted in February and we are privileged to give this important building a new lease of life.