Project Address: - Frilsham Lime Quarry Frilsham Thatcham RG18 9UY
Following engagement with The Design Review Panel (www.designreviewpanel.co.uk), this exciting project for two NPPF paragraph 84e country houses on the site of a former quarry, was granted planning permission by West Berkshire Council in November 2023.
The design concept has been reviewed by The Design Review Panel (DRP) through two
iterations on 20 July 2021 and on 5 April 2023.
In response to the review of 5 April 2023 the DRP confirmed the following:-
"It has now been demonstrated that the design proposals meet the policy
requirements of para 80(e) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)".
The Design Review Panel feedback goes on to say that:-
"Overall the Panel considers that architecturally the proposed buildings have been carefully considered both conceptually and in terms of their detail and reflect a very high standard of architecture."
The Design Review Panel feedback document also commented that:-
"Sustainability is acknowledged as a crucial aspect and design driver for this project and the Panel commends the design teams commitment in this regard. This approach contributes to empirically demonstrating the highest standards of architecture. The passive design principles are robust and the Panels previous concerns regarding glazing and thermal fabric performance have been addressed by the Mesh energy assessment".
The Design Review Panel was particularly impressed with the multidisciplinary nature
of the design team who included the below:-
Planning Consultants: Atlas Planning Group
Landscape Architects: DPLC
Architecture and visuals: David Anderson & Vince Prescott at AHG
Ecology: Ecosupport Ltd.
Highways: Paul Basham Associates
Lighting: DFL-UK
Energy: Mesh Energy
Flood Risk: Monson
Arboriculture: Mark Wadey MICFor
Many thanks to the project Architect David Anderson of AHG who has provided the below comments:-
“ As a practice we set ourselves the highest possible standards and there are few better ways of testing them than the challenge of designing paragraph 84 dwellings. These require a collaborative approach to problem solving involving the project team and wider stakeholders and we found The Design Review Panel to be enthusiastic, engaging and participatory in this journey. A refreshing contrast to the sometimes uppishnature of external reviews and an asset to the process.
We undertook two reviews, the first an on site session and presentation, followed by the panel’s report, and the second a remote submission after we had fully considered and addressed their advice. Our design is inspired by industrial forms of the former lime quarry apparatus and will adopt low embodied energy SRE (stabilised rammed earth) construction in the podium floors.
We are delighted to have received the panels endorsement of our proposals and to have secured the unprecedented outcome of achieving full planning permission under delegated powers for this multi dwelling paragraph 84 development. We look forward to working with the DRP [www.designreviewpanel.co.uk] on some of our other Paragraph 84 projects in Cheshire and Wiltshire in the near future.”
The projects Planning Consultant Dan Roycroft of The Atlas Planning Group (www.atlasplanninggroup.co.uk) has said the following:-
“Support from The Design Review Panel [www.designreviewpanel.co.uk] was crucial for the success of this unique project. The impartial feedback and informed recommendations that were provided allowed the scheme to evolve further.
Confirmation that the Panel considered the scheme firmly met the high policy threshold set by Para 80 of the NPPF ensured that full support could then be given by Officers at West Berkshire Council, resulting in a delegated approval for our Clients.
We would highly recommend The Design Review Panel to others seeking to verify the design quality of proposals and look forward to working with them again in the future.”
Paragraph 138 of the NPPF states the following:-
"Local planning authorities should ensure that they have access to, and make appropriate use of, tools and processes for assessing and improving the design of development. These include workshops to engage the local community, design advice and review arrangements … In assessing applications, local planning authorities should have regard to the outcome from these processes, including any recommendations made by design review panels."
It is wonderful to note that the Local Authority Planning Officer’s Report gave
appropriate significant weight to the independent, impartial and multidisciplinary
feedback given by The Design Review Panel, and the Officer's Report states the following:-
“In this case, the outcome of a design review process confirms that the proposals meet the exceptionally high bar set by paragraph 80(e) and the local planning authority has had regard to that conclusion. The DRP did make some suggestions as to how a number of matters could be improved but qualified this by saying that: 'The Panel emphasises that these observations pertain to the level of detail provided and do not signify significant concerns, it is considered the proposals have already met the required standards of para 80 (e) without addressing the below comments'…
… It is quite clear that the DRP are satisfied that the proposals meet the required standards of para 80(e) …
… In this case, the NPPF is a material consideration for the purposes of determining a planning application and the application cites paragraph 80(e) [now para 84e] of the NPPF which refers to design of exceptional quality. In this case, having regard particularly to, among other things, comments made by The Design Review Panel [www.designreviewpanel.co.uk] the proposed works are considered by this officer to reflect the highest standards of architecture and would significantly enhance the immediate setting and contribute positively to the quality of landscape and built form in the surrounding area, thus helping to raise standards of design in rural areas more generally. The proposal is therefore considered to legitimately justify an exception being made to policy on development in the countryside in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 80(e) [now para 84e] of the NPPF. “
The application (22/03123/FULMAJ) was validated on the 10th January 2023 and approval was granted on 23rd November 2023.
The Design Review Panel (www.designreviewpanel.co.uk) provides independent, impartial, multidisciplinary and expert design review Panel sessions for applicants, design teams and local authorities, nationally across England.
Feedback from The Design Review Panel is a material consideration in accordance with paragraph 138 on The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
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