DESIGN, ACCESS & PLANNING STATEMENT
Hemblington Hall Barns H emblington Hall Road Hemblington Norwich Norfolk NR13 4EF
Rev A
BROADLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL 2 Feb 2019 20190166 PLANNING CONTROL
Beech Architects Limited - Church Farm Barn - The Street - Thorndon - P23 7JR T: 01379 678442
Page 1 of 24 Contents
1.0 Historical Context
2 .0 Proposals/Use
3 .0 Principals & Justification
4 .0 Access
5 .0 Design
6.0 Sustainability
7 .0 Planning Statement
8 .0 Pre Application
9 .0 Conclusion
Page 2 of 24
1995 Aerial View
Page 3 of 24 1.0 Historical context
Setting The site consists of a range of barns due East of Hemblington Hall. The barns are grade 2 listed in their own right (main barn grade 2 and dairy barn curtilage listed) as described below and in the accompanying heritage statement. The barns make a significant contribution to the setting of the hall and group and clearly demonstrate the agricultural and built heritage of the area and of this particular building type.
Significance The barns are on Broadlands building at risk register as it is recognised by all parties that their long-term retention and restoration is important. The unusually large size, grouping and relationship to Hemblington Hall ensures this is a significant group and important to the areas history.
Conversion to a residential use is seen by experts, including Historic England, as the most sustainable and secure long term use for this type of former agricultural building. A change in ownership now presents the possibility to preserve and enhance the barns for future generations and to provide a positive use removing the asset from the at risk register. We aim to create an exemplary conversion of the barns (dairy and threshing barn) to residential use that is sympathetic, enhances the adjacent hall but at the same time creating a low energy and sustainable home.
English Heritage Listing Description:
BARN APPROXIMATELY 30 METRES EAST OF HEMBLINGTON HALL List Entry Summary
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Name: BARN APPROXIMATELY 30 METRES EAST OF HEMBLINGTON HALL List entry Number: 1051492 Location BARN APPROXIMATELY 30 METRES EAST OF HEMBLINGTON HALL, HEMBLINGTON HALL ROAD
Page 4 of 24 The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority. County: Norfolk District: Broadland District Type: District Authority Parish: Hemblington National Park: Not applicable to this List entry. Grade: II Date first listed: 20-Feb-1952 Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry. Legacy System: LBS UID: 228495 Asset Groupings This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information. List entry Description
Details TG 31 SE HEMBLINGTON HEMBLINGTON HALL ROAD (south side) 5/47 20.2.52. Barn approximately 30 m east of Hemblington Hall.
G.V. II
Six stead threshing barn, late C17. Red brick with reed thatched roof, steeply pitched. Two pairs of double doors in west wall flanked by brick pilasters with moulded tops. Vent loops in flank walls; honeycomb vent in north gable brickwork. Parapeted gables with tumbling-in. On east side, pantiled lean-to and hipped two-storey outshut with weatherboarded upper storey. Butt purlin roof with collars to principal rafters. Tie beams with arch braces on to wall posts. Included for group value with Hemblington Hall.
Listing NGR: TG3518311318
Selected Sources Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details
Page 5 of 24
Main barn roof details
Page 6 of 24 2.0 Proposals & Use In summary the proposals comprise renovations and minimal alterations to the barns (see accompanying drawings for details): • Conversion of Threshing barn and lean too structures to a low energy family dwelling • Conversion of the Dairy Barn to a 3 bedroom low energy family dwelling • Erection of a 4 bay cart lodge in a former single barn range location • Restoration of boundary walls and remaining single barn ranges as ancillary storage/ garden use • Landscaping of the site
3.0 Principals and Justification The scheme as drawn shows a careful consideration of historic fabric and focuses on repair, retention and enhancement. It does not seek to extend or impose any structures around the barns. It is a simple refurbishment and subtle restoration of historic fabric and aims to put the barns back to their former glory.
As the barns and adjacent hall are individually listed along with the barns being on the at risk register the justification for residential conversion is clear.
By allowing conversion the barns will be secured in context for generations to come and the grade 2 listed asset will be saved. Clearly a sustainable long term use of value needs to be created in order to fund the very significant costs associated with the works proposed. It is important to note that the owners are new and are not responsible in any way for the previous years of deterioration that have occurred. They have a clear ambition for the buildings and passion to save this important asset as well as creating an energy efficient family home.
This application demonstrates a once in a lifetime and some might say final opportunity to save the barns.
Heritage, Engineers and Protected species reports accompany this application. We aim to work closely as a team with the LPA to achieve these proposals.
4.0 Access The existing wide access to Hemblington Hall Road is to be retained and enhanced as required to provide access to the Hall and the barns.
Page 7 of 24
Dairy Barn views
Page 8 of 24 5.0 Design This application includes the design proposed on the attached drawings briefly summarised as follows: - Conversion of the threshing barn utilising all existing openings - Utilise the large openings for recessed ‘mini’ courtyard spaces to flood the barn with light thus also presenting a negative space to the elevation with open shutters to reflect the historical arrangement of the agricultural barn with a large open void - Retention of the large volume double height spaces in each half of the barn - Reuse of oak beams salvaged from the main barn roof - Re creation of the main barn roof using traditional techniques and to a design matching that of the existing roof - Utilise main barn lean too structures for smaller rooms - New walls are kept to a bare minimum as necessary. The scale and openness of the barns are preserved - Wherever possible internally brickwork will be exposed - All existing structural elements are retained and restored - The roof structure will remain exposed with insulation and finish applied over. The whole space will be vaulted. - The roof will have an English handmade clay pantile installed with half round bedded ridges. - Lean too roofs are of a very low pitch suitable only for slate so a high quality Welsh slate will be installed to these - Aluclad windows and doors with dark grey/ black frames will be installed to openings. The dark colour is chosen to appear as background to the barns and as in shadow to minimise impact on the asset and setting
- The new cart lodge sits in place and to a height that matches the previous, now lost, single storey range - Gravel driveways with metal edging will be installed in keeping with the surroundings and simple honest undecorated agricultural feel
- The Dairy barn will be retained and converted with all openings retained - The Diary barn footprint will not be extended with all internal walls retained - The half moon arched windows will be refurbished - A landscaped garden and parking area will be created for the proposed 3 bed dairy barn - The roof structure will remain exposed with insulation and finish applied over. The whole space will be vaulted.
This proposal seeks to subtly enhance the asset and not to impose any modern style, new character or theme on the barns. The aim is to preserve the agricultural character, openness of spaces and quality of materials that already exist.
Page 9 of 24
Main Barn West View
Page 10 of 24 6.0 Sustainability
Thermal Mass The main brick shell of the barns and solid floor allows a high amount of fully insulated internal thermal mass to balance out daily heat loads/ cycles. Underfloor piped heating from a sustainable system will ensure a warm space all year around.
Air Source or Ground Source 2 no. 14KW Mitsubishi Ecodan air source units for main barn and 9KW unit for Dairy Barn will be used connected to high performance thermal stores for space heating and hot water back up. The thermal store will be a twin coil unit with a feed from the air source.
PV and Battery The cart lodge roof will have a inset PV black array. This would feed the air source system and smart switch to run barn electrical systems when available or charge the battery system.
LED All internal lighting will consist of 3 and 4W LED’s in place of the usual 50W halogens reducing lighting electrical load by 93%.
Superinsulating (roof, walls, floor). Minimal U values will be achieved to reduce the need for space heating to the minimum. Wood fibre insulation will be used to achieve this ensuring all fabric is breathable.
Triple Glazing to Large Openings Argon filled triple glazed units will be used to achieve a U value of 0.8W/m2K. for the larger openings. Other openings and doors will likely be double glazed and with high performance units.
U values We aim to achieve U values far lower than current UK building regulations demand.
Page 11 of 24 Cold Bridging Particular attention will be needed to avoid cold bridging with such low U values. Cold bridges will be designed out at an early stage
Air Tightness In a modern super insulated house poor air tightness can account for up to 40% of heat losses. The Building Regulations 2006 standard is 10m3/h/m2 however to meet SAP carbon emission rates 5m3/h/m2 should be the target. Energy Saving Trust 'Good Practice' air permeability is 5m3/h/m2. 'Best practice' is 3m3/h/m2 (based on CIBSE Tm23 2000). The AECB Gold Standard is 0.75m3/h/m2@50Pa.
In a recent survey of 100 new houses, none achieved a best practice standard and around a third failed to achieve the Building regulations standard. Less than 20% achieved the good practice standard of 5 m3/hr/m2
We aim to achieve 2m3/h/m2 as a target.
Wet plaster will be used throughout to improve air tightness, coupled with coloured mastic sealant at all penetrations and continuous lapped, taped and mastic sealed vapour barriers throughout, along with careful site installation and supervision to ensure we meet this standard.
Biodiverity Bat and bird boxes will be incorporated throughout as well as planting to maximise biodiversity and wildlife.
Landscaping The site will be extensively landscaped at considerable cost to a design that will provide many habitats for native species and will thus, over time as the planting matures, provide far more valuable native habitat than is currently offered by the site.
Planting The planting and choice of plants is chosen entirely to encourage native wildlife and support birds, bees and other insects. All plants are chosen to provide food sources, nesting cover and habitat for insect, bird and small mammal native species.
Page 12 of 24 Permeable drive The driveway will be laid in a permeable gravel to allow all water to permeate through to the ground below and prevent water run off from the site.
Electric Car Charging Fast chargers will be installed. 2no. in the new cart lodge.
Aerating taps/ showers Aerating valves will be used for all taps and showers to cut water usage by up to 50%.
Low flush WC’s Torbeck Ecofills, a UK manufactured cistern and dual flush filling valve will be used to reduce water usage through WC’s by 1 litre per flush and on average 3.5 tons per year.
MVHR Heat Recovery and Ventilation A Paul unit will be used as this offers one of the most efficient solutions to ventilation with up to 96% heat recovery and fan power as low as 0.4W/l/s. this also ensures only 2 black cast iron air brick openings are required to each barn.
Natural Cross Ventilation On hot days the windows on both side elevations can be opened allowing rapid cross ventilation.
Paints All paints used will be natural and breathable
Page 13 of 24
7.0 Planning Statement
We note the following policies, which are applicable to this application: 29 Local planning authorities should set out in their Local Plan a positive strategy for the conservation and enjoyment of the historic environment, including heritage assets most at risk through neglect, decay or other threats. In doing so, they should recognise that heritage assets are an irreplaceable resource and conserve them in a manner appropriate to their significance. In developing this strategy, local planning authorities should take into account:
● the desirability of sustaining and enhancing the significance of heritage assets and putting them to viable uses consistent with their conservation;
● the wider social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits that conservation of the historic environment can bring;
● the desirability of new development making a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness; and
● opportunities to draw on the contribution made by the historic environment to the character of a place.
This proposal complies fully with the above.
In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets’ importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on their significance. As a minimum the relevant historic environment record should have been consulted and the heritage assets assessed using appropriate expertise where necessary. Where a site on which development is proposed includes or has the potential to include heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field evaluation.
Page 14 of 24 In determining planning applications, local planning authorities should take account of:
● the desirability of sustaining and enhancing the significance of heritage assets and putting them to viable uses consistent with their conservation;
● the positive contribution that conservation of heritage assets can make to sustainable communities including their economic vitality; and
● the desirability of new development making a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness.
These proposals are fully in keeping with the above 3 statements.
When considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated heritage asset, great weight should be given to the asset’s conservation. The more important the asset, the greater the weight should be.
This is clearly an important grouping reflected in the 2 listings and status on the at risk register. This application complies fully with both local and NPPF policies.
8.0 Pre Application A pre application was submitted which received a positive response as below.
Heather Byrne
Dear Craig,
21 August 2018 at 16:29
Planning enquiry regarding proposed restoration and conversion of barns at Hemblington Hall, Hemblington Hall Road, Hemblington, NR13 4EF (ENQ20180313)
th Thank you for your enquiry regarding the above proposal and thank you for meeting us out on site on the 9 August to discuss the proposal.
Page 15 of 24 The site in question lies outside of any defined settlement limit and involves the restoration and conversion of barns at Hemblington Hall to form two residential dwellings. Policy GC3 ‘Conversion of buildings outside settlement limits’ of the Development Management DPD (2015) states:
Outside settlement limits proposals for the conversion of buildings for employment uses and tourist accommodation will be permitted where: i. The building is capable of conversion without substantial alteration.
Proposals for residential use will be permitted where criteria (i) above is satisfied and the conversion will lead to an enhancement of the immediate setting.
Paragraph 79 of the revised NPPF (2018) states:
Planning policies and decisions should avoid the development of isolated homes in the countryside unless one or more of the following circumstances apply: a) there is an essential need for a rural worker, including those taking majority control of a farm business, to live permanently at or near their place of work in the countryside;; b) the development would represent the optimal viable use of a heritage asset or would be appropriate enabling development to secure the future of heritage assets;; c) the development would re-use redundant or disused buildings and enhance its immediate setting;; d) the development would involve the subdivision of an existing residential dwelling;; or e) the design is of exceptional quality, in that it:
- is truly outstanding or innovative, reflecting the highest standards in architecture, and would help to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas;; and
- would significantly enhance its immediate setting, and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.
It is considered the proposal would re-use redundant buildings and through the proposed restoration and conversion would enhance its immediate setting and secure the future of the listed buildings. It is considered the proposal appears to work well as two separate dwellings given the level of accommodation provided in each unit and their staggered positions on site, which reduce any potential issues relating to amenity. Both also provide sufficient private amenity space for each unit.
Kate, the Historic Environment Officer, has stated she would be happy to see the proposed conversion of the main barn and former dairy proceed to a planning/listed building consent application and has provided the following comments:
This grade II listed building has been on the Buildings At Risk register for many years and its condition is clearly deteriorating. It belongs to a group of listed buildings including the curtilage listed dairy and Hemblington Hall, both grade II. The dilapidated condition of the main barn and its outbuildings does nothing to enhance the site at present and it is considered that the conversion of the buildings as proposed would enhance the site greatly and would ensure the future of the buildings, which otherwise
Page 16 of 24 may be rather precarious.
Structural engineers’ reports have been prepared which indicate that that the buildings are structurally sound enough to be converted and the proposed scheme is considered to be sensitive to the special qualities of the buildings, whilst providing a high quality of accommodation and surroundings.
However, my main concern regarding the scheme is that a pantile roof covering is proposed rather than the reinstatement of a thatch roof. The thatched roof would form a significant part of the building’s character and as such a change to pantiles would adversely affect its appearance. I am also not entirely convinced by the roof form shown on the Garden room, on the single storey south-facing lean-to. I wonder if a pitched roof following the form of the earlier roof might be more appropriate.
In terms of details, we will need joinery details, position of the glazing within the window / door reveals, details of the shutters, rainwater goods, glazed internal lightwells, any new materials, any new extract vents, SVPs etc and a landscape plan – although the layout as proposed seems to work quite well. It is noted in the supporting documentation that either Air Source Heat pumps or possibly a Ground Source Heat Pump is being considered. Details will again be needed. Likewise an array of PV panels is tentatively being suggested for the southern area of the garden – details will be needed of the exact position and area to be covered, specification of the panels, details of supporting structures and height of the panels etc.
As discussed during our meeting the reinstatement of a thatched roof should be explored further given this is a significant part of the building’s character as outlined in Kate’s comments. Also as Kate mentions details regarding ASHP’s/GSHP’s and solar PV panels would also be required to allow for a full assessment of these.
Any application should also be accompanied by a Tree Survey given the location of trees within and/or adjacent to the site.
As the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal highlighted, further surveys are required in accordance with survey guidelines and these should be submitted with an application and any recommended mitigation/enhancement measures included.
It is therefore considered on the basis of the information submitted that an application for the restoration and conversion of the barns would be viewed favourably subject to the submission of a suitably detailed scheme.
I trust this is of assistance;; however if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards, Heather Heather Byrne Senior Planning Officer (East) Broadland District Council
Every effort has been made to give you a helpful reply. However, the contents of this letter only represent officer opinion at this stage. Should you decide to proceed, further consideration to the proposal will be given at the application stage when the results of publicity and consultation will be taken into account. The Council will not therefore be responsible for any loss suffered as a result of anyone relying on the opinion in this letter.
Page 17 of 24
We have followed this response and details are shown on elevations and sections. Window joinery details are fully shown, black metal gutters are to be used, extra ecology and tree surveys have taken place
SVP pipes will be via a vent tile and fully internal, no extract vents except for the inlet and outlet for the MVHR will be needed.
Internal lightwells are shown on plans and on the section drawings along with the glazed bridge (photo also below)
The end roof form has been modified and this later lean too proposed for removal
Thatch has been investigated as a roof finish but the quotes received for the main threshing barn
Stephen Letch has quoted £80,000 for the thatch covering. A and R Kelly and GJ Stokes have quoted less down to £60,000. This is compared to quotes of around £25,000 for a clay pantile. As such the extra cost of around £35-40,000 and the very tight margins of viability for buildings such as this ensure thatch roofing would make the project unviable. We have therefore proposed a very high quality natural clay pantile. We are open to further discussions around this and the reasoning for the choice with the conservation officer.
From: stephen letch
Dear Andrew A rough guide price would be around £80,000
Kind regards Stephen Letch
A&R Kelly £65,000 GJ Stokes £60,000
Page 18 of 24 As well as the drawn details images below provide further information.
Internal unit and external 14KW air source Mitsubishi Ecodan. 2 proposed for Threshing Barn and 1 smaller 9kw proposed for Dairy Barn
Page 19 of 24
Air vent pantile for SVP pipes and pantile roof
Page 20 of 24
Air vent for MVHR. Black cast iron brick size
Glass balustrade to bridge and stairs
Page 21 of 24
Oak barn shutter detail Velfac triple glazed window section
Page 22 of 24
Black flush PV panel detail to cart lodge roof
Page 23 of 24
8.0 Conclusion We believe that the proposals cause no substantial harm to the existing heritage asset and do not undermine the character of the existing heritage fabric in line with NPPF requirements. It is considered that there would be no deleterious impact on the special architectural and historic interest of the property and would not detract from its significance nor would there be any discernable impact on its wider setting.
In fact these proposals see the opposite, in that they rescue, preserve and enhance the listed building and the group setting and save a building on the at risk register from complete loss. The intention is that the applicants and their team will work closely with the council to create a proposal that is supported by the LPA and can stand as an example to what can be achieved in restoring assets on the at risk register.
Page 24 of 24