George James Associates 18 th February 2013 PLANNING, DESIGN and ACCESS STATEMENT for NEW DWELLINGS AT 50 CHILTON FOLIAT, BERKSHIRE RG17 0TF INTRODUCTION This planning Design and Access statement has been prepared by George James Associates LLP to accompany the application for Full Planning Permission and Conservation Area Consent for the demolition of an existing 1962 cottage at No 50 Chilton Foliat and the erection of two new cottages, access drive to serve the new properties and existing adjacent properties. This statement is divided into the following sections: • Introduction and Preamble • Site Analysis • Planning • Design Principals • Design Solutions • Other Matters • Access Component • Flood Risk Assessment • Conclusion George James Associates LLP were commissioned by Mr & Mrs Franklin to design the replacement dwellings adjacent to their own house, The Vicarage. The scheme has to successfully address the following criteria: • To take into account the specific site constraints • To take into account the planning policies • To take into account pre-application advice dated 18 th December 2012 • To design the new dwellings in a way that is sympathetic to the local style of Chilton Foliat • To design the dwellings so that they reflect the aspirations of the Chilton Foliat Conservation Area Statement (2003) Page 1 of 9 George James Associates 18 th February 2013 INTRODUCTION AND PREAMBLE The Vicarage, No 49 and No 50, were built around 1962 in the walled garden of Craven Lodge / House that burnt down in the 1970’s. No 49 and 50 were built by the Wills family as cottages for workers on the Littlecote Estate. From 1962 until 2011, Mr & Mrs Martin lived in No 50 Chilton Foliat, as life tenant workers for the Estate, and following their deaths in 2011, Sir Seton Wills sold the house to Catherine and David Franklin, The Vicarage, Chilton Foliat. The house and grounds are as built in 1962. Recent planning approvals for The Vicarage and No 49 have seen improvements to the built and landscaping environment, and the proposal seeks to rationalise the site access to the properties within the original kitchen garden walls, and provide two new cottages. The existing access off the High Street, serves The Vicarage, No 49, No. 50 and the rear access to the Old School House. The proposal contains a new access marked ‘A’, centred on the plot to No 50, providing access to the two new cottages and adjacent properties.. The existing access, marked ‘B’, would be downgraded, reduced in width and landscaped. The proposal is to demolish the existing house and build two cottages, sympathetic to the existing housing stock in the village, with flint and brick elevations, gabled ends, white painted timber windows, etc, very much in the same detailing as the Vicarage as built (see photos). The Vicarage and No 49, have strong environmental infra-structures. The Vicarage is heated fully on ground source bore holes and heat pumps, and No 49 with an extremely efficient gas boiler and heating system. Both houses have full heat recovery ventilation systems, well above current building requirements. It is intended that the new cottages would be heated by ground source heat pumps providing heating and hot water. These the heat recovery ventilation system and insulating levels set very high standards, not possible to be met by the current building codes. SITE ANALYSIS The site The Chilton Foliat Conservation Area Statement (2003) states that the village stands on the north bank of the River Kennet approximately 2 miles north west of Hungerford. Ramsbury is about 3 miles west and Lambourn approximately 6 miles to the north. At one time, the main road from Hungerford to Hereford passed through the village but since 1971 the traffic has been re-directed to the M4 motorway. Page 2 of 9 George James Associates 18 th February 2013 Chilton is a common Anglo Saxon village name linked with “child” and Foliat comes from the name of the landowners of Chilton Foliat Manor, Sir Sampson Foliat. The village is ranged on both sides of the main road through the village, and up until the 20 th century agricultural activity formed the economic base of the village. Site Context No 50 is located to the western end of the village on the northern side of the main road, and sits on a plot of 0.0875 ha previously part of the kitchen garden of Carven Lodge, between the Old School House and The Vicarage (see panoramic photograph). The existing 1962 building is unaltered, and modernised, with a few conifers in the garden. PLANNING This application seeks to adhere to the relevant Local Plan and Central Government Planning Policies within the recently published National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) In particular the proposal is considered to accord with threads within the NPPF which supports widening the choice of high quality homes (para.9). The NPPF also encourages decision makers to support development which facilitates the use of sustainable modes of transport (para. 30) and sustainable development (para.49). Paragraph 14 of the NPPF states very clearly that: “At the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development , which should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan- making and decision-taking ” (NPFF, 2012:4:14) Within the adopted Kennet District Local Plan (2004) Chilton Foliat is identified as a “village with a range of facilities and suitable for limited residential development”. Planning Policy HC22 goes on to state: “With the exception of Avebury, planning permission for limited additional housing development consisting of infilling, the replacement of existing dwellings, the reuse of existing buildings, the redevelopment of existing buildings or small groups of houses will be granted within the defined Limits of Development of those villages in terms of its scale and character ”. No 50 Chilton Foliat is located in a reasonably well sized plot, which can accommodate two dwellings without being cramped. The resultant plot sizes arising are in scale and character with the surrounding area and within the ‘limits of Development” and as such, are in compliance with the Local Plan. Page 3 of 9 George James Associates 18 th February 2013 PRINCIPAL OF THE DEVELOPMENT – CORE STRATEGY The Wiltshire Core Strategy due for adoption in 2013, identifies Chilton Foliat as a small village in its Settlement Strategy (Core Policy1), and in the delivery strategy (Core Policy 2)states that outside the limits of development at the small villages, development will be limited to infilling within the existing built up area and accords with policies of the development plan: i) Respects the existing character and form of the settlement ii) The proposal does not elongate the village iii) Does not consolidate existing loose knit areas of development related to that settlement. The Policy allows for infilling, for which No 50 is suitable in terms of scale and character, and therefore satisfies the Core Strategy intention. THE CHILTON FOLIAT CONSERVATION AREA STATEMENT (DECEMBER 2003) The Chilton Foliat Conservation Area Statement 2003 confirms that the Conservation Area was designated in November 1974 and since then the boundary has remained unchanged. The Conservation Area extends from the bridge and Bridge House to the south eastern end of the village up to the Church at the western end. The southern boundary of the Conservation Area is defined as the south bank of the River Kennet. Character: The architectural and historic character of the village is described on all approaches to the village as being attractive with a distinct sense of arrival. Many of the buildings are positioned close to the road and the Statement confirms that “this creates a distinct sense of place with a variety of styles and dates clearly evident” The main route through the village is continuous; however, the character of the street varies from a low density in the west to a higher density in the east. The character of the Conservation Area is described as ‘best appreciated from the main street where the picture is largely made up of frontage buildings, walls and trees. Views between buildings are attractive, but generally limited, and those to the south contained by the woodland ” The existing modern building has little architectural merit and it makes no real positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area. The demolition and redeveloping with a more suitable development is a more appropriate proposal that would meet the Conservation Area Statement. Page 4 of 9 George James Associates 18 th February 2013 Building materials and Details The Statement confirms that there is an attractive uniformity in the colour and texture of the bricks used throughout the village. There is also a display of the range of bricklaying skills and patterned brick, together with brick and flint are evident. Roof coverings are a mixture of thatch, clay, tile and slate. The Statement emphasises that the design and detail of the doors and windows are especially important in defining the character of a building. Windows are small scale casements and these, together with simple doors without glazing are locally distinctive features that need to be conserved. Element such as gates, gate piers and boundary walls are described within the Conservation Area Statement as adding to the visual interest within the village. Preservation of Existing Character. The character and appearance of the Chilton Foliat Conservation Area should be preserved and the Conservation Area Statement lists the following as ways in which this can be achieved: • Planning applications and Conservation Area Consent to be assessed with reference to this character appraisal. • Advising owners of historic buildings to encourage good standards of maintenance and repair • Contact to be maintained with the County Council Highways concerning works within the Conservation Area • Proposal for replacement trees and hedge planting to be encouraged.