Talacre Park Lodge, Llansa Road, Gwespyr, Flintshire, CH8 9LU Design and Access Statement
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Architecture + Building Surveying + Town Planning Talacre Park Lodge, Llansa Road, Gwespyr, Flintshire, CH8 9LU Design and Access Statement CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 SITE AND CONTEXT ....................................................................................................................... 3 DESIGN ................................................................................................................................................ 5 ACCESS AND PARKING .............................................................................................................. 11 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................... 12 CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk II | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Design and Access Statement has been produced on behalf of the owner and applicant, the Owens Family, in support of a detailed planning application for the extension, alteration and remodelling of a single storey gate house at Llansa Road, Gwespyr, Flintshire, CH8 9LU. 1.2 This Statement describes the site and its surroundings, before setting out the design and access merits of the proposal. These are all examined, and the conclusion is reached that there are no material considerations indicating that planning permission should not be granted. DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENTS 1.3 It is a statutory requirement that applications for planning permission and listed building consent (with exceptions) are accompanied by a design and access statement (DAS). Further guidance relating to the requirement for a design and access statement is included in appendix 1 of TAN 12. 1.4 The DAS is a communication tool explaining how the objectives of good design (which include the principles of inclusive design) have been considered from the outset of the development process. 1.5 In relation to design, a DAS must explain the design concepts and principles applied to the development or works. A DAS accompanying an outline or full planning application must explain the concepts and principles in relation to (as a minimum): • Access; • Character (including amount, layout, scale, appearance and landscaping); • Community safety; • Environmental sustainability; and • Movement to, from and within the development. THIS PROPOSAL 1.6 In order to allow a proper assessment of the proposals and satisfy the requirements of planning policy, this planning application is supported by: o Supporting Planning Statement o Design and Access Statement o Location Plan o Block Plan CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 1 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement o Existing Site Plan o Proposed Site Plan o Existing Floor Plans and Elevations o Proposed Floor Plans and elevations o Visualisations o Heritage Statement o Preliminary Ecological Assessment o Bat Survey 1.7 This Design and Access Statement is to be read in conjunction with the building plans, layout plan, 3D visuals and planning statement related to this proposal. CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 2 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement SITE AND CONTEXT Fig. 1 Site Location [Source: Google Maps] 2.1 Talacre Park Lodge is located off Llanasa Road, which connects the villages of Gwespyr and Gronant, on the north coast of Wales. 2.2 The site is highly accessible via private motor car, in close proximity to the A548, which connects Chester and Abergele, leading to the North Wales Expressway (A55), which travels across North Wales. 2.3 The site comprises a former single storey gate house. The land would therefore be identified as brownfield land, which is most favourable for development within national and local planning policy. 2.4 The site is located in close proximity to the villages of Gwespyr, Gronant and Talacre, which collectively comprise a range of facilities and services including; cafes, bars, restaurants, shops and a primary school. 2.5 The nearest bus stops are located within Gwespyr, approximately a 10- minute walk from the site. The buses travel to Rhyl and Prestatyn, or Holywell, Mount Pleasant, Flint, or Pen-y-ffordd. CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 3 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement 2.6 The closest railway station is located within Prestatyn, four miles to the west of the site. The primary train operating companies are Transport for Wales, which manage rail services across Wales and West England, as well as Avanti West Coast, which travel to both Manchester and London. 2.7 As such, it is considered that the site is in a relatively sustainable location. 2.8 The site and its locality are not identified as being within a flood risk area. 2.9 The site is located within the Talacre Abbey Conservation Area, however the Lodge itself is not listed. 2.10 However, there are three Grade II listed buildings in close proximity to the lodge, as shown in Figure 2, namely St Winefrides School House, The School House and St Winefrides. The buildings were designated in April 2001, for their “architectural interest as a fine mid C19 Gothic school and of additional interest as an early Roman Catholic school with segregated schoolrooms.” 2.11 The CADW map below makes the absence of protections clear. Fig. 2 CADW Map CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 4 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement DESIGN 3.1 The applicant is proposing to create a modest 2-bedroom property through extension of the existing building. Design points have been taken from the approved scheme for St Benedict’s Lodge; however, a key difference is that Talacre Lodge is not a Listed building. 3.2 The intention of the applicant is to create an attractive modest home in this historic environment. 3.3 The proposed works would look to re-establish the importance of the lodge as part of the wider Talacre Abbey Conservation Area. Fig. 3 Proposed Visualisation 3.4 The proposed works would repair the damaged gate posts, install iron gates appropriate for the location and also refurbish the lodge, while ensuring the extension is hidden from view for vehicles travelling along Llansa Road. 3.5 The refurbishment of the lodge would be completed using local materials to reinstate its traditional appearance. 3.6 The extension has followed the principals established at St Benedict’s Lodge and proposed a modern flat roof extension, linked by glazing to the adjacent lodge. CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 5 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement Fig. 4 Proposed West Elevation 3.7 The proposed extension is 1m2 smaller than the extension at St Benedict’s Lodge. 3.8 Whereas the adjacent application used a glazed link which led to two bedrooms, the layout of Talacre lodge suits the inclusion of bedrooms within the existing property nearer to the public footpath and road, with the extension tucked away out of site, including the open plan living dining area with views out towards the sea. 3.9 Rather than having a separate glazed link, this aspect has been included within the extension by creating a glazed front door on the western elevation and including a large fixed pane window on the east elevation. CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 6 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement Fig. 5 Proposed Floor Plan 3.10 It is intended that there would be a modest patio area to the north of the extension with Bi-fold doors accessing onto this. 3.11 There will also be an area of garden to the south. 3.12 Car parking is located north-west of the access track, so as to move it away from the gated entrance. CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 7 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement Fig. 5 Proposed Site Plan 3.13 The applicant has sought to keep the materials palette for the extension as modest as possible. 3.14 The walls of the extension would be covered in rough local stone, similar to the style which appears on the rear of the existing lodge. Fig. 5 Proposed East Elevation CASSIDY + ASHTON | 10 Hunters Walk, Canal Street, Chester, CH1 4EB | www.cassidyashton.co.uk 8 | Page Talacre Park Lodge | 28/05/2021 Design and Access Statement 3.15 This approach has been taken to indicate a clear subservience between the dressed stone existing lodge and its extension. This hierarchy is also reiterated through the roof types proposed, where the existing building will have a large pitched roof similar in scale and form to the St Benedict’s Lodge roof, while the extension has a simple flat roof. 3.16 All of the existing openings within the building are proposed to be utilised. Some of these will require extensions downwards to create doors from windows. 3.17 Only one new opening is proposed for the existing building and that is to create a store