Gallery
Many people have noted that I’m not a normal 23-year-old,” humours Holly. “This entire process has been a learning curve for me; learning how things work, how to work alongside the planners, what I can and can’t get away with and, ultimately, how certain elements of my build will affect the neighbours.”
Hitherto, the plot, previously owned by Holly’s parents, was an overgrown and unkempt site and sat next to a plot that they were planning to build on. Today, however, the once weed-ridden plot is free from brambles, rubble and sky-high trees after much hard work and determination. “My parents purchased the second plot back in 2007,” explains Holly, “it was just additional garden space that wasn’t being used and was in need of some attention. My parents and I spent two years clearing the plot and then it was gifted to myself as I had expressed an interest in applying for my own build.
“My plot, plot B, covers 1142m2 and is adjacent to three additional sites – A, C and D – which were once part of one large entity and have been divided into four separate pieces of land. My parents, being one of the neighbouring sites, had purchased their land in 2006 with planning permission already granted from 1990. They started building in 2015 after altering the original plans over the years from a two-bedroom bungalow to four-bedroom house. I assisted with my parents’ planning alteration which helped give me a greater understanding of the requirements.”
Whilst her parents’ site was undergoing its transformation, Holly built up a good rapport with the planning officer involved with the build. “I helped out quite a lot with my parents’ project, as I was an Estate Agent prior to becoming a Medical Rep,” she recalls. “From there, I learnt how to think in terms of planning; how I could keep my costs down, keeping my money in the bank, and apply for planning by myself. The only thing I actually paid for was the drawings and topographical. I decided to go through Potton, who completed the drawings. I completed the design statement myself; created and planned all the design calculations, elevations, window-to-window calculations, drainage etc. To assist my parents, I applied for landscaping on their plot as well as my own.”
Overcoming difficulties
The site, located in a rural village in North Warwickshire, posed many challenges for Holly. One of the main complexities was the profusion of trees that were present on site. “As we’re positioned in a countryside location, there were quite a few trees that had to be removed,” she explains. “And, living in such a quaint village, people aren’t as accepting of tree removal or new builds. Having worked previously as an estate agent, I am well aware of how troublesome they can be,” she informs.
“I wanted the design of my build to be similar to a Grade II Listed building to the rear of my plot. Although I wanted it to be more contemporary to allow for solar gain and to fully appreciate the views as we’re on elevated terrain. That said, the design is still in keeping with the neighbouring properties and Grade II Listed building. I had to ensure the distance between my proposed property and the listed building was far enough away to appease local planning conditions. The planners would not allow me to build too close, therefore, my house has been positioned as far across the plot as practicably possible.”
Accessibility issues
Holly continues: “There were many more difficulties I had to overcome, and accessibility posed a severe issue. There’s a 7ft track leading to plots A, B, C and D, which belongs to my parents. Because of the limited access to my plot, I have had to sign a legal agreement stating that, as the owner of plot B, my permitted access has been increased to 10ft, whereas the remaining plots are allocated 7ft. Before I decided to contract Potton, I ensured that they could accommodate the site and narrow access, which also has other challenges. Worse case scenario; a crane would have been deployed.”
Working with the planners
Holly worked extremely closely with the planning office to guarantee that she was ticking each box as she went along. “I had regular contact with my planning officer,” she enlightens. “Before I had even applied for consent I made an appointment to sit down to verify that I had completed everything appropriately. I had to confirm that the information was accurate and covered all aspects of the build. For example, one subject concerned fire engine accessibility down the 10ft access. I had to consider how to get water to the house in an emergency and whether it would be a fire hydrant or a sprinkler system (or both) to meet the requirements.
“I also had to discuss how the build would enhance the environment by describing how it would support local businesses and amenities. It was a lengthy process and that’s why my design statement was 20 pages long!”.
Holly applied for planning permission on 24th April 2017, however, she had applied with a design prior to this application, as she recollects: “I did apply with a basic design back in 2015 wanting just outline planning consent. I then spoke to the planning officer who advised me to apply for full planning as there had been many ongoing issues with a neighbouring property regarding my parents’ build. I thought about the officer’s suggestion and a year later I started to get everything rolling. I applied for everything; a shed, greenhouse, garage – although I don’t necessarily require these elements currently, it saves me time in submitting another application at a later date.
“When I officially applied in April, I was recommended, out of courtesy, to send a letter to the neighbouring properties informing them of my plans – bearing in mind there are around 22 houses that I would have to inform. These houses all share a road with myself that leads to the track for plots A to D. After writing my 22 letters and posting them to the neighbouring properties, I received an equal amount of objections to non-objections; in total six of each. Thankfully, the planners didn’t feel the need for it to go to the planning committee. I complied with absolutely everything, crossing every T and dotting every I. The house isn’t too big for its plot (around 184m2 so it’s a good size; considering the size of the land it is to sit on).”
Gaining approval
“My planning was approved on August 1st,” exclaims Holly. “I was so shocked when I was finally granted permission. I was expecting it to be a ‘no’ because of the objections, however, as aforesaid, I complied with absolutely everything. It did overrun its deadline and that was a nail-biting period as we had to wait for the councillors to decide if it had to go the planning committee or not. Luckily not!
“My plans are for a three-bedroom detached house set across two storeys with floor-to-roof glass rear windows. My estimated build costs are between £222.000 to £244.000 depending on specifications and, as we speak, I’m just organising the services.”
Holly concludes: “Overall, it’s been a great experience for me to go through and, while there have been many, many challenges along the way, it’s been worth every hurdle.”
