Bournemouth Borough Council: Another week goes by and yes another residential planning approval in Bournemouth with no affordable housing contribution. I think this is what they call ‘being on a roll’.

The latest addition to the winning streak was in the Moordown area of Bournemouth. Now, I will freely admit we were not breaking any boundaries in terms of unprecedented  scale or inventive contemporary architecture, but why not create a scheme which mimics nearby buildings in terms of scale and design, if that is what works best for the site?

Traditional, hipped roof, two-storey brick or rendered buildings tended to predominate in the immediate locality. Consequently the two semi-detached properties were specifically designed to accord with this design context.  The layout of the proposal matched the general layout of nearby properties and again in common with the majority of other houses along this stretch of the road the dwellings were set back with forecourt parking. The scale of the dwellings  had a direct relationship to the scale of the neighbouring properties and so on… you get the picture.

The whole process was hassle free and actually approved by Bournemouth Borough Council a week ahead of the target date. We believe this was down to a proper understanding of the context of the site from the outset and getting the plans right first time before the Council even saw them. Oh and once again our own affordable housing viability report was enough to persuade the District Valuer (and the Council) that no contribution towards affordable housing should be sought.

If you are wishing to get a development off the ground and are looking for a similar hassle free passage through the planning system to arrive at a successful outcome, then forget the rest… use the best…  (other planning consultants are available).

Why not give us a call, send us an email or even pop in and see us to find out how we can help you today.