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Planning Potential successfully advise on navigating the complex 'Para 79' for exceptional design quality

15 August 2019

"The exemplar dwelling labelled by the Council as reflecting ‘the highest standards in architecture’ and being ‘truly outstanding and innovative’ is designed to be interesting and original."

In just six and a half weeks, Planning Potential successfully navigated the complex NPPF paragraph 79 for exceptional design quality on behalf of a private client. The site is located in a Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Planning policy normally resists development in the open countryside. Paragraph 79 (formerly known as Paragraph 55) refers to a section of the 2019 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) related to building new isolated homes in the open countryside and allows for an exceptionally designed new home on land that would otherwise be unsuitable for development.

In order to qualify, the new dwelling must surpass certain expectations and should be exceptionally well designed. The proposal should be ‘truly outstanding or innovative’, ‘reflect the highest standards of design in architecture’, ‘help raise standards of design more generally in rural areas’, ‘significantly enhance the immediate setting’, and be ‘sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area’.

Planning Potential and Michaelis Boyd Architects have been working on the concept of ‘Leaf House’ since 2017, and the scheme has evolved carefully over time through positive feedback with specialist consultants, Peer Reviews, Design Panel Reviews and feedback from both the Council and Parish Council.

The exemplar dwelling labelled by the Council as reflecting ‘the highest standards in architecture’ and being ‘truly outstanding and innovative’ is designed to be interesting and original. It is based on the symbolism of a leaf-shaped building emerging from the landscape.

The dwelling has a soft organic form that blends well with the surrounding landscape, placing great sensitivity on its natural surroundings, such as the view, the nature, and the sun path.

Planning Potential successfully advised the client on the processes to take when navigating the complex ‘Para 79’ route. With guidance, the client was able to identify groups to target for feedback; gather relevant information from specialist consultants; advise on necessary changes to meet stringent policy tests; prepare important reports at pre-application and application stages showing that the policy tests were met in their entirety; and secure planning permission for the site.

In the seven years since the NPPF was introduced, the take up for Paragraph 79 designs has been relatively slow, partly due to the challenging and subjective nature of the policy. Securing planning permission for works in isolated countryside locations is arguably one of the most detailed and challenging processes within planning and it requires careful thought, guidance and advice. Sites that are also designated as AONBs are even more difficult to negotiate as they are highly protected pieces of land. Planning Potential have the skills, knowledge and expertise to guide you through the process and can help to advise on the options available to you.

Contact Sally Arnold on [email protected] or 020 7357 8000 if you would like to know more.