Frisby Farm, Paragraph 84e - Single Dwelling House | Approved Under Delegated Powers with Support of The Design Review Panel

Site Address: Frisby Farm, Leicester Road, Billesdon, Leicestershire, LE7 9FD

Planning Application Reference: 23/01812/FUL

Local Authority: Harborough District Council

Congratulations to Tye Architects, Squires Young (landscape architects) and Marrons (planning consultants), as well as the rest of the design team who, following support from The Design Review Panel, have achieved a planning approval for a new dwelling in the countryside for a private client under paragragh 84e of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in Leicestershire; the planning application was approved by Harborough District Council on 6th March 2024 under a delagated decision.

The application was was registered and determined in a 7-8 week period.

3D Visual G - Visitor Entrance Arrival - Looking West at eye level

The proposed development is to demolish the existing dwellinghouse, adjacent vacant building and all dilapidated farm structures. These is to be replaced by a single new dwelling designed to accommodate the applicant’s large young family. The proposed dwelling is single-storey, with a ‘U’ shaped footprint to reflect the historical analysis of the farmstead. The design ethos is based on a low profile building with clear links to the rural landscape and the historic ridge and furrow that surrounds it.

3D Visual D - Main ‘Plough Blade’ Living Space - Looking South at eye level

Many thanks to Nicholas Tye at Tye Architects (https://tyearchitects.com) who provided the following comments:-

"Planning can rightly be tough; but it also depends on having the right people with the right knowledge and robust skill sets to inform the process. We had the right ingredients on this project with a great client, design team and expert Design Review Panel to help steer and guide the project to provide the best outcomes. Also resulting in a delegated first time planning approval, under the recently and newly re numbered Paragraph 84e.

We look forward to working with The Design Review Panel [www.designreviewpanel.co.uk] on many more."

The Site

The site sits within the wider Sliones Farm Farmstead which covers a total of 82 hectares of pasture land between the villages of Billesdon to the east and Houghton on the Hill to the west. Access to the site is taken via an existing site entrance from the southern side of the A47 Leicester Road. Sliones Farm sits to the south of the A47 and comprises a predominantly pastoral setting for sheep grazing which is typical of the majority of parkland estates in the locality.

Sliones Farm, Land off Birtles Lane, Over Alderley, Cheshire, SK10 4RZ - Physical Site Model - View Looking North East

The farm has a relatively uniform pattern of medium to large-scale geometric shaped fields that are defined by native hedgerows with intermittent tree cover. Ridge and Furrow occurs in a number of the fields, in particular those to the immediate south of the A47, and those on the upper slopes above the existing buildings. Built-form within the farm is limited to two buildings that are located centrally to the holding on the mid-slope of the valley. The buildings are both vacant and in a state of collapse with limited historic value.

3D Visual C - View along ‘the Approach’ to the house at higher level looking South-West

Landscape Design

Landscape solutions and resolutions have been designed through a strong collaborative process, led by Mike Young of Squires Young. The proposal is a result of an understanding of the landscape influencing an enhanced building design combined with the integration of a sensitive landscape setting with site wide landscape and ecological enhancements.

Sliones Farm - Para 84 Dwelling in the Countryside - Setting & Integration Strategy (1 of 2)

These factors underpin the proposals which strongly respond to the defining characteristics of the landscape and significantly enhance the site and its setting. Enhancements include building re-orientation and positioning; a stronger relationship with the ‘ridge and furrow’; minimised intervention into the landscape; variation within building height; an enhanced sense of arrival; an integrated sustainable drainage scheme; integrated mitigation of sensitive views and an enhanced celebration of the distinctive ‘ridge and furrow’ features.

Sliones Farm - Para 84 Dwelling in the Countryside - Setting & Integration Strategy (2 of 2)

Architecture

The proposed dwelling would be constructed from rammed earth walls and reclaimed red brick, with interior blockwork and expansive glazing to the central core of the dwelling. The roof of the central section will be of lightweight silver metal that has been designed to reflect the appearance of a plough; the surrounding ridge and furrow has inspired the design of the dwelling. The roof of the two ‘wings’ has also been designed to reflect the historical agricultural practices that took place across the wider site, by utilising green sedum roofs with corten copings in a ribbed pattern, to again celebrate the surrounding ridge and furrow.

Sliones Farm - Para 84 Dwelling in the Countryside - Architectural Concept

The heart of the home is a glazed central living section, provides the ‘link’ to move public spaces to the west and more private spaces. This glazed ‘heart’ allows nature to flow through the building; there is ridge and furrow historically to the south and flowing northwards down towards the rear of the dwelling. This building provides the new ‘link’ of the ridge and furrow and in terms of scale and mass, occupies a similar area to the original farmstead which had evolved on the site into the late 20th Century. This new link is further enhanced by the setting of the courtyard farmstead garden.

3D Visual K - Internal view of southern connection and link to southern courtyard

Proposed South Elevation

Proposed North Elevation

The southern orientation of the space counterpoints with the landscape features of the ridge and furrow to cascade ‘through’ the courtyard linking south to north. The topping centre piece of this solution is the floating ‘plough’ which sits above in metal, as a symbol of the plough, cutting though the earth (the earth rammed walls) and cutting through the green living roofs that symbolises our ridge and furrow. This all creates a dynamic and outstanding interpretation of the ridge and furrow history in this modern interpretation.

3D Visual E - Southern facing courtyard, view looking north

Sustainability

The second design review panel session drew out a need to more clearly demonstrate how the proposal would help raise standards of design more generally in rural areas. This is a multifaceted aspect, but a key element related to how the building would perform in energy efficiency terms; the sustainability credentials of the proposal.

Sliones Farm - Sustainability Strategy Summary Diagram

The specification and technologies which enable the building to perform to net zero was led by Alan Harries of London-based design firm, 'Integration' (https://www.integrationuk.com). They have examined innovations such as using EV vehicles as a means of enabling flexible energy use. The scheme goes a long way towards raising the standard of rural design more generally through the flexible energy research project which has emerged from this project. This has quantified the carbon save possible through flexible energy storage and has created a means for various flexible energy use strategies to be rated (through the proposed Flexible Energy Performance Certificate). The pioneering “Flexi-EPC” research will be promoted alongside the scheme as a key innovation for reducing both operational carbon and energy bills more generally. This project has been pivotal in instigating this research.

Sliones Farm - RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge

Due to the aspirations of the applicant to implore the best possible environmental and sustainable techniques, they provided the seed capital to allow this pioneering research to commence. This has allowed a Flexible Energy White Paper to be prepared by Integration which is due to be published prior to the end of the year. It is considered that the Net Zero standard of this dwelling presents a positive opportunity for the family to live in an environment with a net carbon product. This ensures that the design specifically raises the standards of design.

If this project had not been commissioned, the research would not have been carried out. This paragraph 84(e) proposal has identified a unique sustainability strategy for underpinning the energy performance of the dwelling.

3D Visual I - Internal view of main space looking west

The Design Review Panel

The proposals underwent three design review panel sessions in conjunction with a thorough pre-application process with the local planning authority. The third Design Review Panel feedback document states the following:-

“In conclusion, as previously stated, the Panel considers that the site provides a superb opportunity to deliver a building of the highest quality whilst enhancing existing landscape character. The additional background work undertaken by the strengthened Design Team has led to a much-improved understanding of place and the proposal will reinforce local character, significantly enhance the immediate setting and are sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area and create an appropriate setting for the proposed new house.”

The report goes on to conclude the following:-

“The Panel has no doubt that the proposals have demonstrated that they are truly outstanding, reflecting the highest standards in architecture, and would help to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas. As such it is considered the proposals presented to the Panel have now demonstrated that they meet the policy requirements of Paragraph 80e [now para 84e] of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)”

Sliones Farm - Para 84e Dwelling in the Countryside - Aerial View Front of Dwelling

Click the link below to visit the relevat planning pages of the local authorities website:- https://pa2.harborough.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=S6N8PWHW01900

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Feedback from The Design Review Panel is a material consideration in accordance with paragraph 138 on The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

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