Planning permission has been granted for two new build houses on a green field site in College Road, Ardingly.  The site is an ‘edge of settlement’ location with the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

James Wells has been commissioned by Drake Developments, a London based developer working in  London and the South East bringing new build homes with the latest thinking in spatial planning and facilities to the Sussex market.  The scheme replaces a previously approved planning application for two houses on the same site.

External 18th Century elegance disguises thoroughly modern interior

The project is to create two five bedroom semi-detached homes arranged over ground and first floors with basements to accommodate a gym, media room and plant room.  The proposed new dwellings respect the residential character of the area and set a new standard for properties within the immediate location.

Externally the new homes are of a traditional design with a nod to the elegant and understated 18th Century architecture of Sir John Soane with stone and render detailing on the ground floor and brick finishes at first floor level.  Each house has an entrance hall, study, sitting room, kitchen with family dining and formal dining room.  On the first floor there are five generous bedrooms and three bathrooms (two ensuite and one family bathroom).

James Wells comments, “Submitting a planning application today is an increasingly complex process; it is considerably more onerous that it was even three or five years ago.  After taking the client’s brief we need to spend some time considering how to go about seeking planning permission.  We often find we have to commission a number of independent reports – such as landscape visual impact assessments, biodiversity surveys, dark sky lighting assessments, tree reports, flood risk assessments ….. and of course we also need to design a building which sits comfortably within its local context.  This does not always mean that we have to adopt traditional forms or materials but often this is the best strategy.  Our clients are sometimes surprised by how little latitude they may have to address their own priorities.”  The architect of today faces a complex challenge when it comes to gaining planning permission.

The new homes are located on the boundary of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as such the scheme will retain the woodland screening at the rear of the site and new landscaping will be provided to enhance the setting for each house.  The proposed landscaping will include appropriate planting to all boundaries of the residential curtilages to ensure the houses successfully integrate into the surroundings as well as provide appropriate habitats for local wildlife.

If you are interested in commissioning a new build project or renovating an existing building and require planning permission or help with your planning application then please use the form below to get in touch or call 01243 940020

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The proposed development is arranged over basement, ground and two upper floors. Each new house benefits from a self-contained garage.

The brief was to replace two poorly set out flats arranged over garages and incorporate a now redundant electricity sub-station. The site is located within the St James Conservation Area.

Each of the dwellings will be arranged comprising: integral garage, level threshold entrance with external refuse storage on the ground floor. In the basement there is a study / guest bedroom adjoining external light well for light and ventilation, utility room and bathroom/WC; two bedrooms with ensuites on first floor and open plan living space with adjacent kitchen and dining space and separate WC on the second floor.

Both properties are served by top-lit stairwells with a roof light over the kitchen area to offer natural light and ventilation.

The scheme, set in the context of a mixed-used commercial and residential mews, adopts a simple brick form with carefully proportioned windows and façade. Natural light is a premium in this location, thus great care has been given to roof lights as well as boosting the outline of façade windows.

The contemporary design of the new building draws on the simple form of the existing structure and that of the surrounding commercial vernacular. The upper stories are faced in a light buff brick to echo some of the material palette of the surroundings and maximize natural reflected light in the shaded mews. Similarly, the different purpose of the ground floor is reflected in form and materials to house the sheltered entrance bays and a ‘hit and miss’ timber screen for the garage doors and refuse stores.

Scheme which planning permission was granted for

Each house is 1,450 square feet. The client is a private developer.

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