Tunbridge Wells Borough Council: Pure Town Planning are pleased to announce that Dan Wilden has secured planning consent for ten detached houses at a vehicle scrapyard site in the Kent countryside near Paddock Wood. The scheme was designed by architects ARC Architecture.

Planning consent had previously been secured for a scheme of six dwellings but Pure Town Planning advised the owner that it would be a worthwhile exercise attempting to increase the site value with an increase in unit numbers and house sizes.

We were able to successfully persuade the Council that having given consent for the site to be used for housing, despite its rural location, they had a duty to maximise the potential of the site to accommodate new dwellings on previously developed land – provided that the rural character of the area was not harmed. As a benefit of the new scheme, as well as the contribution towards housing need, the Council receives a financial contribution to be put towards affordable housing elsewhere in the Borough.

The planning application was an unusually lengthy process dealing with various issues including the negotiation of the affordable contribution (and subsequent legal agreement) and dealing with the complexities of site contamination, surface water drainage and land ownership. But we stuck with it and eventually achieved a successful outcome for our client.

If you have a planning consent but wonder whether it really makes best use of the site why not contact Pure Town Planning for a free consultation – perhaps we can suggest a way to improve the scheme whether you want to increase the site value or achieve other objectives?