Paragraph 80 Architects
What is paragraph 80 (formerly paragraph 79) and what does it mean for building a new house in the country?
Paragraph 79 or the ‘country house exemption clause’ as it’s sometimes referred to, is a part of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) that relates to building new homes in the countryside. Very simply put, this piece of the planning framework allows for a new dwelling to be built on a piece of land that previously would have been unsuitable for development.
The caveat to this clause is that the new building must be of exceptional quality and be ‘truly outstanding or innovative, reflecting the highest standards in architecture and help to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas’. This requirement means that it is a challenging task to get paragraph 79 projects through planning.
We are recently won planning approval for a paragraph 79 project in Wiltshire, Upbrook House with the support of the full support of the Wiltshire Design Review panel, who advise the planning team on matters of design. Located on a steep hill in the Wiltshire countryside, the project balances the needs of our disabled client with the challenges of a sloping site, creating a new step-free building that connects seamlessly to the countryside.
