Planning and developments in Sensitive Locations

There are a number of considerations to be borne in mind if you are planning works of any significance in a sensitive location.

Firstly, what is considered a sensitive location?

There are a number of special designations that your property might fall within.  These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• National Parks
• Area of outstanding Natural Beauty
• Conservation Areas
• Area of Special Residential Character
• Site of Special Scientific Interest
• Statutory Listing (Grade I, Grade II*, Grade II)
• Local listing / Non-designated heritage asset
• Article 4 direction (affecting permitted development rights)

If your property is located within one of these designations, then you are generally lucky as you will be living in a secluded and protected location where you are most unlikely to be blighted by unsightly development in the near future.  But there is a flip side; your neighbours will be highly protective of the special designation of their area and the local planning authority will impose a higher level of scrutiny and control over any new applications – even if they only comprise modest householder type applications.

If you happen to be planning a large scale new build or replacement dwelling in one of these locations then you will need to proceed with caution.  The design will need to be carefully considered and many other aspects of the project – such as vehicle access and parking, trees, landscaping, and ecology on the site will need to factored in at an early stage.  If you jump into the exciting design process without having considered these issues beforehand, you run the risk of not only being frustrated and disappointed when your proposals meet a wall of objections, but also of missing the opportunity of taking steps early in the process to address potential opposition later on.