Architects make history with ‘exceptional and innovative’ grand design
A firm of Shropshire architects has made history by securing the first ever approval for a new-build grand design home near Newport under a specialist planning policy.
The property, designed by Base Architecture & Design, is the first home in the borough to be given planning permission by Telford & Wrekin Council under its HO10 policy, which allows new homes to be built in rural settings if they meet specific criteria, one of which is promoting “exceptional and innovative design”.
The plans, which were granted by Telford and Wrekin Council’s planning committee on January 30, are for a five-bed home with a bespoke workshop and associated two-bedroom annex for a disabled family member to be built on land next to the owner’s home in Longford Road/Vauxhall.
The architectural design draws on the agricultural heritage of the area and the house will be carbon neutral, thanks to a sustainable heating and cooling system including a ground source heat pump and solar panels.
The council’s HO10 policy mirrors the National Planning Policy Framework’s Paragraph 79 (formerly known as Paragraph 55). Councils only grant a handful of planning permissions under this rule each year and it’s believed only several hundred homes of this kind exist across the UK.
The Base design had to undergo two reviews by MADE, an independent body of professionals, which commended the scheme as a “cohesive and well developed and high quality piece of architecture and one that responded well to this site.”
Base Director Carl Huntley said: “We are absolutely delighted to become the first ever firm of architects to be granted permission under the council’s HO10 policy.
“The independent MADE panel said our proposal raised the standard of rural design in the area and gave a bespoke and sensitive response to this particular site as well as enhancing the surroundings.
“Importantly it will fulfill a need for our client and their family and their specific business and personal needs. We are proud to have set the bar for this policy and look forward to seeing the vision become a reality.”
Base, which has offices in Shrewsbury and Chester, is renowned for its innovative and contemporary approach to design on new builds, renovations, extensions, and urban and commercial developments across the UK.
It has carved out a national reputation for its ‘Grand Design’ style builds and success with Paragraph 79 (formerly Paragraph 55) applications that allow for homes of exceptional architectural value to be built in open countryside.