Derelict Site Given New Life

Working with a local house-builder, JWPC successfully secured planning permission for the redevelopment of a derelict mixed-use site on the edge of a city, close to the motorway network. The site, which had once contained a swimming pool, stables and dog kennels, had been largely vacant for a number of years and its derelict state and proximity to the motorway were seen as obstacles to its potential for redevelopment. The buildings, once piggeries, were derelict and the roofs had collapsed. Yet having approached their local council on numerous occasions with pre-application enquiries, the client had been strongly discouraged from applying for permission. This inability to regenerate the land was having a profound effect on its value, despite being in such a beautiful location and in a prominent hillside position.

However, issues regarding noise, location and design were carefully considered and built into a coherent and convincing planning case that the local council accepted and approved. Through the detailed design of an extremely high-quality but small-scale private housing scheme, with a landscaping buffer adjacent to the motorway, the proposals provided sufficient value and benefit to enable the successful redevelopment of the entire site.