Project Overview
Bell Cornwell have helped to secure planning permission for a new dwelling on the site of former stables on the edge of the popular coastal village of Lympstone in East Devon.
Prior to our involvement, the property had been subject to a complex planning history, with the existing buildings benefiting from a permission, granted at appeal, to allow their conversion into a dwelling. However, use of the buildings for residential purposes was not ideal and so the owners approached East Devon District Council to seek permission for an entirely new house on the site. After pre-application discussions, Council officers indicated that such an approach was unlikely to be acceptable.
Following this negative response, Bell Cornwell were asked to identify a strategy to overcome the Council’s concerns and progress a planning application for a new dwelling on the land. Working with the architects and our client, a scheme was developed that successfully dealt with the issues. Key to our approach was to use the baseline position – that the principle of residential use of the land had already been accepted – whilst developing a house design which has a better impact on the character of the area than the existing scheme.
We were able to demonstrate that the proposed development will provide a more sustainable and higher quality form of accommodation for future residents in a location within easy walking distance of Lympstone’s services and facilities. These arguments, supported by a very high quality architectural design, persuaded the officers to change their stance and recommend approval for the scheme. In considering the scheme at committee Council members unanimously supported the officer’s recommendation and granted planning permission.
