Private Estate, South Oxfordshire

Background

Edgars has been advising a private country estate in South Oxfordshire on a range of diversification projects to generate additional income for the estate, in particular for the maintenance and reuse of its historic buildings.

Home Farm is located adjacent to the former walled garden and contains several historic and modern agricultural buildings that have become redundant. The estate was seeking viable uses for these buildings to secure their future. Holiday lets was identified as an appropriate use that would conserve the historic buildings and introduce a diversified, income generating use from the assets.

Challenge

The Estate has numerous constraints including being within a Conservation Area, as well as the Estate containing numerous Grade II* and Grade II listed assets and the designation of the surrounding parkland as a Grade I listed Registered Park & Garden.

Furthermore, the Estate is entirely located within Oxford’s Green Belt, and such certain forms of development are considered inappropriate development where very special circumstances must be demonstrated.

Solution

Edgars worked closely with the Estate, architect and heritage consultant throughout the project to develop a sympathetic design solution for the reuse and alteration of the modern agricultural buildings and listed barns.

Owing to the location within the Green Belt, Edgars also had to prepare a robust case for development, demonstrating very special circumstances which outweighed the categorisation of inappropriate development within the Green Belt.

Based on the sensitivities and constraints of the site, Edgars employed a two stage approach, by first engaging with the Council under a pre-application. This ensured the principle of development and design solution was supported ahead of the applications preparation and submission.

Result

The Local Planning Authority recognised the economic and heritage benefits of the scheme, and acknowledged that the proposals would ensure a viable use for the buildings which would both conserve the historic barns, and improve the setting of listed buildings and the Registered Park and Garden.

Planning and Listed Building Consent was granted in February 2020.

Conclusion

Understanding the clients vision, and how the transformation of the site would support the ongoing management of the historic landscape and buildings of the Estate was key. Being able to articulate this drive and vision ensured that very special circumstances was accepted.  Jayne Norris, Director

Client Testimonial

“Sustainable management and growth of The Estate, whilst respecting its heritage and history, was at the core of this scheme. We faced many planning challenges. For this reason we appointed Edgars, who clearly understood the brief, ably advised the Estate and led the team of professional consultants to achieve planning permission.”

Lucy Brooks, Trust Director