Outline Planning Application – New self-build/custom-build dwelling | Brierley Hill
Have you ever considered designing and building your own home?
It’s a topic that many people talk about and aspire towards, but it doesn’t have to end with fanciful conversation.
Unity Architects is actively helping clients throughout Warwickshire and the West Midlands to curate compelling planning applications in support of their self-build/custom-build ambitions.
The latest of which is a project located in Brierley Hill, West Midlands.
Unity Architects has been working directly with a developer client to establish proposals for a 1-bedroom, single-storey dwelling, and has recently made a submission to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council for outline planning consent to establish the new self-build/custom build dwelling within the rear garden of an existing property.
[Architectural visualisation of the self-build/custom-build dwelling by Unity Architects - Front elevation in morning light]
During last 20-years, 57% of the existing 40-metre-long private garden space has been underutilised, representing significant inefficiency. The developer client has recognised this trend and has ambition to use the land more progressively via the creation of an additional dwelling.
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley has a significant shortfall of housing delivery, falling well beneath the government threshold. Beyond increasing land efficiency at this site, the creation of a new home contributes to the urgent requirement of supplying new houses within the borough.
Whilst there is strength to be found within the National Planning Policy Framework for the creation of sustainable development and bringing small sites forward for self-build and custom-build housing, significant sensitivity around such proposals remains.
Unity Architects has worked diligently with the developer client to ensure the proposal responds directly to the Dudley Council Residential Design (SPD). Strict attention has been applied to the requirements of garden land development including:
Generating a ratio of built form to garden that is consistent with current use.
Mitigating any adverse impact to the street scene.
Creation of a low-impact, single-storey building that is akin to existing rear garden ancillary outbuilding development.
Exceeding the nationally described space standards to deliver a high-quality internal living environment for the future end-user.
Ensuring the host property benefits from the same external amenity space that is currently used.
Providing the host dwelling and proposed dwelling with external amenity spaces that far exceed the minimum standards.
Façade separation distances between habitable rooms, including mitigating measures to further safeguard privacy and outlook.
Compliant highways access, including enhancements to off-street parking to meet the local parking standards.
Distinct separation of land portions between the dwellings, including dedicated vehicular access and pedestrian circulation between the respective buildings.
Ecological considerations that attend to protected species and locally identified nesting birds.
Emergency fire services access, including hose length to furthest point of the proposed dwelling.
Sustainability credentials such as on-site photovoltaic energy generation, battery storage, EV-charging, air sourced heat pump, high-performance thermal envelope and rainwater harvesting.
Sustainable transport via dedicated on-site bicycle parking, encouraging connectivity to the local town within 5-minutes and the City of Birmingham within 45-minutes.
The intensive design exploration process delivers a compelling scenario for the creation of a new dwelling.
[Outline planning application drawing of the self-build/custom-build dwelling by Unity Architects]
A high standard of design has been demonstrated, presenting a sustainable and well-integrated scheme that can positively contribute to the vitality of the local area and the much-needed housing supply.
We look forward to receiving the support of the local planning authority in consideration of this outline application, for what should be a delightful and widely obtainable new home.
[Architectural visualisation of the self-build/custom-build dwelling by Unity Architects - Rear elevation in evening light]
If you are a homeowner client or developer client and have ambitions of designing and building your own home, feel free to contact Unity Architects and we will happily talk with you about your project.
Written by: Jason Laity BA(Hons) DipArch DipAP RIBA [Founding Director and Principal Architect] of Unity Architects.