Hourigan Planning were instructed by Bowsall Developments who together with the Registered Provider, Longhurst Group, sought to develop a previously developed/greenfield site for 63 new affordable homes – a 100% affordable scheme. The delivery of affordable homes in Fenland District is difficult because of very challenging viability circumstances and the need for affordable and specialist homes is acute.
We led a Parish wide pre-application consultation event during the Pandemic which attracted substantial objections on a number of grounds, but principally in respect of drainage and highways.
The site is constrained having difficult underlying ground conditions which preclude its extensive remodelling, it’s traversed by watercourses, not connected to the existing pedestrian network in the village and it lies on the edge of the built-up area where a sensitive approach to the interface between the development and wider countryside was required.
Given the local circumstances the scheme was subject to intense scrutiny by agencies responsible for the aquatic environment, the Lead Local Flood Authority, the Council’s Wildlife Officer and Environmental Health Officers. Additionally, the scheme had to deliver new pedestrian connections to the village which necessitated the relocation of existing watercourses off site, again raising further issues. Due to the site not being feasible for remodelling, a specialist pumped system needed to be devised to deal with surface water. These issues required us to mediate with all parties, our clients and their consultancy team. The mutually agreed solution addressed the principal concerns of the local community whilst also delivering a high-quality scheme that achieved a green score against the criteria contained with Building for Healthy Life (June 2020).
Hourigan Planning led the multi-disciplinary team (comprising 12 consultants) that promoted the full planning application. The application was particularly challenging because of the site-specific constraints, and because of the resource issues faced by the Council which necessitated the input of five different Planning Officers. The scheme required fourteen sets of amendments, however by working collaboratively with the Council and other agencies, the scheme was recommended for approval and the Council’s Planning Committee resolved to approve the scheme in February 2023. Hourigan Planning subsequently assisted in the execution of the Section 106 legal agreement and full planning permission was granted by the end of March 2023, only one month after the application was presented to the Members of the Planning Committee.
