Paragraph 79 New Build Houses Green Belt Design Idea & Example
Sanam WD3
Development of six Paragraph 79 houses (formerly Paragraph 55), green belt special circumstances.
Paragraph 79 Houses on Green Belt
Explore our step by step project progress and use our proven approach to using exceptional quality and innovative design to build Paragraph 79 houses on Green Belt.
Getting permission to build on Green Belt land is more difficult than building in other places: in order to grant it, the local planning authority has to decide these are special circumstances and the proposed house or houses are ‘exceptional quality’, being either ‘outstanding or innovative’. These are sometimes known as Paragraph 79 or Paragraph 55 homes, because those rules come from Para 79 (formerly Para 55) of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Our client had bought a home that had come with a large tract of land. He liked the idea of developing Paragraph 79 houses on the site, and felt the fact that the areas on either side were fully built-up might help him get permission to do so. There were other challenges, though: the plot was next to a river, meaning there was a flood risk. The river, along with the trees, also meant that finding a place to put a road leading to the new homes could be awkward.
Three Rivers
New Build Houses
Green Belt
6 dwelling houses
652% increase
11% increase
Solution
It’s not impossible to get planning permission for Paragraph 79 (Paragraph 55) new build houses, but it can often be difficult, so you do have to hire a high-quality architect who has experience of this kind of project.
Working with our partners Atelier Mona, we came up with answers for this very tricky scheme. The first was how to connect the six dwelling houses that would be on the site with the rest of the world. After careful analysis of all the possible options, we found a way to extend an existing public road leading to a neighbouring property into our clients’ land with minimal loss of trees.
The development of Paragraph 79 houses was designed to be sympathetic to the landscape. The six elegantly modern houses are elevated, which both reduces the flood risk and makes it feel like they sit lightly on the land. The housing is much lower density than the surrounding areas. And most importantly, the houses are designed to the very highest standards – inspired architecture crafted precisely for its setting.
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Urbanist Architecture
Urbanist Architecture is a London-based RIBA chartered architecture and planning practice with offices in Greenwich and Belgravia. We are on a mission to unlock the hidden potential of your site and deliver you a successful transformational change.
