Planning permission granted: Secret Garden House
Exterior view of The Secret Garden House, Linton Conservation Area. Source: 4 S Architecture.
The planning process in a Conservation Area
Obtaining planning permission in a Conservation Area is not an easy endeavour to undertake on your own. This is especially true if, like our client, you are envisioning a large, sustainable extension to a period property, alongside thermal upgrades to the existing house to reduce energy consumption. Many questions might come to mind – what reports need to be prepared for the planning authority? What should be included in the planning application? What are the design parameters? Working with an experienced RIBA Accredited Conservation Architect to help navigate this complex process can significantly increase your chances of securing planning permission – as it did for our Secret Garden House client.
Planning permission granted for Secret Garden House
The Secret Garden House is rural, idyllic, and full of historic features and stories. Passed down from generation to generation, the house has been extended and altered no less than six times since the 1840’s, when the house first appears on maps. Despite the idiosyncrasies and challenges of this unique site, we were recently able to secure planning permission for a large contemporary extension to this home.
Located in the Linton Conservation Area, near the Granta River in South Cambridgeshire, the Secret Garden House is surrounded by tall flint garden walls and dense foliage. This secret oasis is visited by rabbits, ducks and hedgehogs, and features elegant mature trees and a large vegetable patch. Although the property itself is not listed, as it is located in a Conservation Area, the design proposal had to be put together with great sensitivity; solidly grounded in the applicable legislation and planning policy.
4 S Architecture have secured planning permission for a large extension to this historic property in South Cambridgeshire. Source: 4 S Architecture.
The architect at the centre of a complex process of co-ordination
Numerous reports and studies are often required when working in Conservation Areas and in rural locations. In many cases, our input saved the client time and money by advising which reports could be prepared simply in-house, which could be delayed, and which could be avoided altogether. Throughout the planning process we liaised regularly with the Conservation Officer and Case Officer at the Council to address their concerns about flood risk, biodiversity, underground drainage and bats. We assisted in preparing information packs for neighbour consultation, arranging bat surveys and a flood risk assessment, and strategically coordinated the results of underground drainage proposals into the designs. The Landscape design, which was designed to improve site-wide biodiversity and create more defined functional zones across the garden was carried out in collaboration with landscape architect Jane Brockbank. The landscape proposals were included in the planning approval, and included the introduction of an orchard, pond, and terrace seating areas using recycled building materials, along with the removal of mature non-native trees.
The proposed black timber cladding matches existing outbuildings. Source: 4 S Architecture.
Our design proposals for The Secret Garden House
Following a thorough analysis of the site, as well as its materiality, form, deficiencies and historic context; we proposed to thermally upgrade the existing rear extension kitchen walls and windows where works were being focused, and to add a sensitively designed black stained timber clad rear extension. Our design draws on the existing context – black stained timber and the pitched roof form match the existing outbuildings, while a circular roof light plays on a circular motif in concrete surrounds found on the front elevation windows.
The success in securing planning permission for our proposals on this sensitive Conservation Area site was a result of many factors including developing design proposals which were sympathetic to the local character and history, successfully collaborating with the client and consultant team and regularly liaising with the Case Officer at the Council. Our client summarised his experience of working with us:
“Julia has been excellent in helping us negotiate a tricky planning consent. Our house dates back to the early 19th century and could well be older. We live in the historic core of the village within the conservation area. Julia helped negotiate a complex series of constraints, including heritage sensitivities, mature trees, flood levels, ecology and existing drainage to successfully secure planning consent for our project earlier this year. She has been proactive, positive and consistently professional and we have very much enjoyed working with her.”
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