News
Planning Submited for Small Boutique EC0-Development in Lowestoft’s Urban Area
Dec
Wheelbarrow Developments, who build truly exceptional homes built on a small and manageable scale to ensure a professional and personal touch, are pleased to announce that plans for what could be Lowestoft’s most eco friendly small development. Plans were submitted and validated by East Suffolk Council this week.
This piece of underused land, located in urban Lowestoft, was a prevous small holding where people stayed in an old railway carriage, and has long needed developing to make best use of the land. Wheelbarrow Developments have spent much time and resources on developing a new approach to remedy all prevous concerns on prevous larger scale applications
We feel renowend Norwich Arcitects have amnaged to create some of the most architecturally interesting and climte crisis addressing homes we have seen in a long while and the design is so sympothetic to its environment, we really are delighted with these proposals. Should this application be successful it would have no to minimum impact on neighbouring properties, whilst offering a solution to the residents of the road, near on 60 year hazard of there being no turning space for oversized vehicles.
Various expert opinion have been sought and presented to cover all planning law and flood design methods ensuring these homes would be safe in even the 1000-1 flood. They will be built to the very highest specification and will be the most eco friendly homes, featuring ground source heat pumps, Green actual living planted roofs, grey water recycling, solar panels powered along with electric car charging points for each property. We hope the council and community will support what could be one of the most climate crisis significant and interesting small development in the east of England.
Development will be to the highest possible standards of design, enhancing the quality and distinctiveness of the area. This development has aimed to function well and add to the overall quality of the area by positively planed design, not just for the short term but over the lifetime of the development. The design has established a strong sense of place, creating an attractive and comfortable place to live, work and visit. It responds to the local character and reflects the identity of the local surroundings and materials. It is visually attractive as a result of good architecture and appropriate use of green space within the development. Green roofs and the use of plants in the external amenity area will be employed to help improve and enhance the appearance of the site and the visual aspect from neighbouring properties.
To register your support and interest please get in touch with us here at Wheelbarrow Developments.
and provides a design which is complementary to the designs of the neighbouring
sites. The predominant building material in the vicinity is brick and render with
timber framed and other modern material in fenestration, these material will be
employed in the proposed development in order to ensure that the relatively
contemporary design of this modest buildings will harmonise with the existing
aesthetic in a contextual, yet contemporary manner. The design respects and
reflects the local distinctiveness and the wider area and enhances the townscape
overall.
The proposal’s materials are similar to the site and its surrounding context. It
provides a flat roof with a lightweight form, in order to be as inconspicuous and
modest as possible (as well as limiting the impact on the all the neighbouring
properties).
Privacy at the rear of each proposed dwelling will be provided with an existing 2.0m
high wooden fence and a standard timber panel fence between each proposed
dwelling.
The proposed development would include the installation of Ground Source Heat
Pumps and solar panels for each dwelling to meet a large percentage of the heating
and hot water demands of the new buildings. Each car parking space would also
benefit from an electric vehicle charging point to facilitate the move to low emission vehicles for residents. In addition, each dwelling would have adequate allocated on
site cycle storage to encourage greener means of transport to the town centre and
the wider area.
As highlighted above, each dwelling will also benefit from a green roof providing
vegetation and planting resulting in additional biodiversity benefits to the site as a
whole. This will ensure the development provides net gains for biodiversity to help
enhance the natural environment.
The proposed development also offers the potential for a variety of construction
methods including highly sustainable SIPS construction which would exceed part L
Building Regulations with respect to Thermal Efficiency. Such methods would also
use low water volume fittings and grey water recycling.
Each dwelling will benefit from a private amenity area to the rear of each dwelling
and a front garden. All existing trees on site are proposed to be retained with
additional landscaping proposed within the site as shown on the accompanying
plans. There is room for two 60 litre wheelie refuse bins sited next to the entrance for
each dwelling. The installation of in-sink food waste disposal units have been
proposed in this development to help reduce the amount of waste being presented
for collection.
This development designed to meet the demands of everyday life, providing
adequate space and facilities to enable residents to live comfortably and
conveniently. All four dwellings satisfy and exceed the requirements of National
Space Standard- Technical Housing Standards.
The provision of green infrastructure as an integral part of the overall design
complements and enhances the development and its neighbouring properties’ views.
The use of natural features also helps to enhance the appearance and character of
the built and natural environment of the site and its surroundings. It has the potential
to provide ecological and SUDS improvements.
Matters
The development is designed to achieve a high standard of energy efficiency in
design by means of internal and external layout, orientation, massing, materials,
insulation, heat recovery, natural ventilation, shading and the use of landscaping and
planting.
The proposed development is positioned in flood zone 1 part of the land which have
a low probability of flooding. However, the development will use less water, the
quality of water resources and the environment will be maintained or improved, and
the risk of flooding will be avoided or mitigated by complying with building standards.
Designing green roofs and other green areas have an advantage of capturing
rainwater, combating surface water run-off and reducing the impact of flooding which
can be a useful contribution from this development.
Summary of the Development
The proposal seeks to positively redevelop the existing under-utilised application site
with a new sustainable development. The proposed design has been carefully
considered to ensure it meets with the requirements of the national space standards
and to ensure that neighbouring residential amenity is preserved and enhanced.
The proposed design and materials to be employed will enhance the character and
appearance of the surrounding area and the setting of neighbouring properties.
The past applications and refusals of consent for development on this site have been
noted and the design suitably crafted in order to meet with the requirements of the
Local Planning Authority.
It is considered that the scheme has been respectfully designed to comply with the
requirements of legislation, national and local planning policy and guidance
highlighted in the planning statement.
