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The Forum Exeter, Devon

An RIBA south west award wining building at Exeter University in Devon; The Forum. This building benefited from design review during the design and pre-planning stage

Design Review Panel Training 2018

Design Review Panel training session carried out in Taunton and the Somerset County Cricket Ground in November 2018. The event was extremely well attended by local authority representatives, house builders and design team members

Exeter Quay by Jonathan Braddick

Photograph of Exeter Quay taken by Architect and Design Review Panel Manager Jonathan Braddick. The Design Review Panel holds regular design review panel sessions at Exeter City Council

Design Review Panel Training 2018

Design Review Panel training event 2018. Jonathan Tricker, Highways Engineer, Urban Designer & Director at Phil Jones Associates, gave a talk entitled: ‘Highway Design in Placemaking’

Steiner School Exeter

The design review Panel was engaged by Willmott Dixon during the pre-application design stage of the project to help them prepare a design that would be acceptable to the local authority

Design Review Panel Site Visit Poole

Photograph from a 2018 design review panel site visit carried out in Dorset in 2018. A full sit down design review panel was subsequently held in the Poole Borough Council Offices

North Grays Farm Para 80 House

External visualization for a NPPF paragraph 55 (now 79) house that was presented to the design review panel. This project has subsequently gone on to achieve planning permission and is now built on site

Design Review Panel Training 2017

Design Review Panel training session carried out in Exeter, Devon in December 2017. The event was extremely well attended by local authority representatives, house builders and design team members

Exeter Quay - Rockfish Restaurant

A small but sensitive project in Exeter Quay; The Rockfish Restaurant has been designed by Grainge Architects who engaged with The Design Review Panel during the design & pre -application planning stage

Extra Care Development by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

Pegasus Life secured planning permission through public inquiry for a Sarah Wigglesworth Architects scheme for a C2 assisted living community at The Knowle, Sidmouth, Devon. The Design Review Panel (www.designreviewpanel.co.uk) were instructed by East Devon District Council (EDDC) to provide multidisciplinary, expert, independent and impartial guidance and feedback to the local authority, applicant and design team during the pre-application design stage.

Plymouth Hoe

Photograph of Plymouth Hoe, Devon. The Design Review Panel holds regular design review panel sessions at Plymouth City Council

Design Review Panel Training

Design Review Panel training session carried out in Exeter, Devon. The event was extremely well attended and incorporated a mock design review panel session and design workshop.

Writer's pictureJonathan Braddick

Housing Development in Poole Gains Planning Approval with Support from The Design Review Panel

Updated: Aug 20, 2023


artist impression of an urban extension at Cruxton Farm, Poole
Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Artist Impression

As part of a series of articles showcasing examples of projects that The Design Review Panel has reviewed, we are pleased to share details of a planning approval for up to 550 dwellings, a 62-bed care home, allotments, play areas, community car park, public open space and over 16 hectares of suitable alternative natural greenspace (SANG) which was approved by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s Planning Committee earlier this year. The applicant was Richborough Estates, and the design team and planning agents were Savills.


In total the site is circa 45 hectares. It adjoins existing development to the south and is bounded by the river Stour to the north. At the eastern end of the site is the Canford Magna Conservation Area and the Grade 1 Canford School (formerly Canford Manor House), with its former carriage drive bisecting the site. To the west is the further Conservation Area of Oakley Lane and a mix of residential and some commercial buildings.


Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Constraints Masterplan
Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Constraints Masterplan

There are several listed buildings within the vicinity of the site including some Lady Wimborne Cottages, a style associated with the former Canford Manor. There are various Tree Preservation Orders within the site boundary and part of the SANG area is within the floodplain.

Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Sketch
Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Sketch by Savills Urban Design

The Illustrative Masterplan proposes varied densities, building patterns and street designs to create four distinct character areas, each inspired by the sites surroundings and local Dorset vernacular. Extensive work was undertaken to ensure the layout and design of new green space integrated existing landscape features and characterised areas of the development, providing enduring buffers to the adjoining Conservation Areas and carriage drive.

Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Illustrative Masterplan
Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Illustrative Masterplan - by Savills Urban Design

Richborough Estates and Savills engaged with The Design Review Panel as a key part of the early pre-application design discussions. During the summer of 2018 the design team and local authority met with The Design Review Panel to undertake a site visit and place making review of the masterplan. Alternative layout approaches were considered to key parts of the site. In particular the review considered the best layout for the interface with Canford Magna conservation area. This resulted in the estate cottage approach to the four eastern ends of the proposal. The Design Review Panel session also considered how the streets leading to the Carriage Drive, could be articulated. In the western part of the site, options for the arrangement of streets and blocks around a central green space as well as the definition of linkages to Cruxton Farm were reviewed.

Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Aerial View Sketch  - by Savills Urban Design
Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Aerial View Sketch - by Savills Urban Design

Chris Odgers from Savills Urban Design said:


“The design review panel’s site visit and subsequent discussion were instrumental in providing re-assurance to both officers and members that the emerging scheme was an appropriate response to a sensitive site.”


The Design Review Panel welcomed the early engagement, the logical and well considered approach to design and the benefits the site visit delivered to the process. The DRP considered the site presented a great opportunity and, subject to further design consideration, felt the proposals would provide a well design place that was of a high design standard.


The Case Officers Planning Committee Report states:


“Policy PP27 Design sets out the overarching design framework and requires all development to be of a good standard of design … In response to the Policy requirements, the applicant undertook community engagement to inform the planning application, presented proposals to the predecessor Council’s Member Engagement Forum and undertook pre-application advice with the Council. The applicant also took part in an independent design review as encouraged by Local Plan Policy PP27 Design (3), the outcome of which helped to shape the submission.”


Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Artist Impression Sketch  - by Savills Urban Design
Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Artist Impression Sketch - by Savills Urban Design


Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Artist Impression Sketch  - by Savills Urban Design
Cruxton Farm, Poole - Urban Extension Artist Impression Sketch - by Savills Urban Design

Richborough Chief Executive, Paul Campbell, said:


“We are delighted to have secured resolution on this former Green Belt site. We and our consultant team have worked extremely hard from the initial identification of the site, achieving its Local Plan allocation for residential development. Cala are a fantastic development partner who pride themselves on delivering new homes of the highest quality, and we look forward to Reserved Matters being submitted this summer and seeing the much-needed delivery of family and affordable homes”.

 

Full details for the planning application can be seen on the local authority website by clicking here ...

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