Securing approval for five new family homes in the green belt

What we did

The site is located in a predominantly residential area and was previously used as a pig and poultry farm and contains multiple disused agricultural buildings – which we secured consent to be converted into dwellings.

It is located a short walk away from Lydiate Village Centre and Maghull Town Centre which offer an array of services, including schools, churches, public houses, cafés, restaurants, pharmacies, and a train station.

We engaged with Sefton Council to create a sympathetic rural-style bungalow development, utilising the fall-back position afforded by the previous extant conversion approval at the site.

A number of considerations were included in the updated proposal, such as:

• Introducing a centralised courtyard and grouping the homes closer together.
• Ensuring that the ridge heights of the buildings were in keeping with the rest of the site.
• Keeping materials to a minimum, utilising slate/tile, brick, and boarding.
• Including three parking spaces for each home, with driveways wide enough for pedestrian access.
• Creating a new access road and a turning head which provides for a safe turning point for all types of vehicles to enter the site.
• Setting the homes further into the site, away from the northern boundary, to further reduce any visual impacts.

We also had to demonstrate how the development was meeting the National Planning Policy Framework (NPFF) sustainability criteria, by addressing economic, social, and environmental priorities.

The development would support the government’s objectives to increase the delivery of high-quality housing and contribute to the economy through the employment of local companies, and the use of the local supply chain.

The social aspect would be met through the delivery of affordable family accommodation, that respects local surroundings and enhances the sites existing rural character, designed by LMP Architects.

PWA submitted the revised plans to Sefton Council in October 2023 and gained approval in February 2024.

What our client said

“We were delighted with the knowledge and expertise that PWA brought to the planning process. Their experience working within local planning policies was invaluable and allowed us to gain approval on a disused site which will provide high-quality houses for the area.”

Mr Barton