What exactly is Paragraph 80? Ultimately, it enables you to create a Grand Design house – a house built in the open countryside, often with breath-taking views that is designed and built to the highest architectural standards.
Paragraph 80 (formally Paragraph 79 and before that 55) of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), regulates the construction of new isolated homes in the countryside.
To ensure that you have the greatest success at securing planning permission for a Paragraph 80 house, you should work closely with a planning consultant who specialises in a design-led approach.
In order to qualify for approval, there are special circumstances within Paragraph 80 of the NPPF which must be met:
- The design must be ‘of exceptional quality’
- It should be ‘truly outstanding’ – reflecting the highest standards in architecture (note – the word innovative was removed in the recent changes to the NPPF in July 2021)
- And help raise standards of design in rural areas
- It must also ‘significantly enhance its immediate setting, and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.
When preparing your planning application, you need to pay special consideration to sustainability in terms of the location of the site, the proposed building design, its construction technologies, the visual impact on the countryside; and its landscape design. All of these will contribute to meeting the special circumstances set out by Paragraph 80.
At ethical partnership we have had great success in securing planning permission for Paragraph 80 homes. We have an exceptional in-house team of planners that work with other consultants to ensure that the planning application is held to the highest of standards.
To find out more about the work we do you can check out our portfolio of work, see the services we offer or contact us directly.
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