Conversion of 3 Buildings at a Livery Yard to Dwellings

The proposal included the demolition of several other buildings on the site, and substantial landscape enhancement measures.

The site had originally been used for keeping pigs but in more recent years it had been used as a commercial livery yard. The proposals represented a small windfall site but with this came the removal of several buildings and the result would be a visual enhancement alongside biodiversity. The site had various constraints to development:

• In a National Landscape

• Contains potential for contamination

• In an area of Archaeological potential

• Within a Groundwater Source Inner Protection Zone (SPZ1)

It has taken some time for the decision notice to be issued. Some of the issues were:

• The lengthy process needed to reach the stage where the Environment Agency was able to issue the relevant permits, confirming that a suitable drainage system could be used in the SPZ1.

• The original ecological assessments requiring an update because of the time taken for the decision to be issued.

• A last minute demand from the LPA for the applicants make financial contributions towards strategic transport infrastructure via a unilateral undertaking. This payment regime was not in place at the time of application, however the LPA applies the system at the point of approval regardless of when the application was initially validated.

This application was testing to say the least, and involved a lot of tenacity to keep the momentum going and get it over the line and approved. Our clients were incredibly patient throughout the process and are happy with the final result. We are grateful to Aqua Tech Drainage Consultants for their invaluable work on this project.