Approval has been granted for a luxury courtyard development on an historic site near Ascot Racecourse following a successful application from specialist urban planning consultancy, Hybrid Planning & Development.
Situated within the Green Belt, the approved development will see the creation of four single storey family homes at Silwood Park Nurseries by developer, Thornbury Group.
“Silwood Park Nurseries is an extremely sensitive site. It is not only located within the Green Belt, but also contains a Grade II listed walled garden dating back to 1817,” explains Hybrid’s senior planner, Aaron Henecke. “Understanding the complexities for a development of this nature, we encouraged early and widespread stakeholder engagement. This involved a successful pre-application process to identify footprint/volume parameters, heritage constraints, design approach and best use of the site in line with the NPPF, as well as an online consultation event to engage local residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Working closely with the client, Ackroyd Lowrie architects and specialist transport and heritage consultants, we’ve been able to bring forward an exciting new development which was approved via delegated powers with no objections,” concluded Aaron.
Designed around a central courtyard within the Grade II listed walled garden, the approved new homes at Silwood Park each follow an L-shaped footprint with an open plan internal layout. Each home has a pitched tile and green roof and will be built with a combination of brickwork to match the listed walls and full height glazing for a more contemporary appearance.
Alex Oliver, managing director, Thornbury Group said: “The Silwood Park Nurseries site was acquired after the existing owners consolidated their flower display business and released the land, which is currently occupied by lightweight greenhouse structures and a series of brick buildings in poor repair. Through positive engagement with our potential neighbours, we realised a bespoke and sensitive residential development would be supported.
“Hybrid’s specialist knowledge enabled us to successfully navigate the various constraints and we are extremely pleased with the outcome of this planning application. We will be commencing work on site around September and look forward to creating a luxury development that will not only retain the site’s heritage but also provide modern new homes for local families.”
The approved development at Silwood Park Nurseries also includes large private gardens, car parking, a communal courtyard garden and substantial soft landscaping/tree planting.
