A mix of new homes and Independent Living on surplus public land in the Green Belt
Location
Rochford
Client
Essex Housing, Essex County Council
Date
Started 2020
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We assisted Essex Housing, Essex County Council, secure planning permission for the redevelopment of this former adult community learning centre for a mix of new family homes and specialist Independent Living accommodation for over 55s.
Bidwells provided strategic planning advice to the client and project team throughout the design phase up to the determination of the scheme at planning committee, leading to a unanimous grant of permission. The scheme is of exemplary design quality, maximising the potential of this previously developed site in the Green Belt, whilst successfully accommodating the functional and access requirements of a local youth football team which uses the playing fields adjacent to the development site.
Our involvement in the scheme brought vital clarity to the local authority’s interpretation of the use class applicable to the extra care scheme, which ensured that this new model of Independent Living was not burdened with unnecessary planning obligations, thereby preserving scheme viability.
We guided the design team to the delivery of a residential development that maximised the density of development within acceptable policy parameters, to ensure the delivery of an optimum density of development for this highly sustainable location.
