Kings Lynn planning committee in the Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk have approved a new-build country house, utilising a hydrogen fuel cell energy system, citing paragraph 55 of the NPPF as a key consideration.
The planning application for the nine-bedroom house was granted planning permission under NPPF legislation, which permits the building of new country houses considered to be of ‘exceptional quality or innovative design’.
Plans include a strategy for the use of hydrogen fuel cell technology to power the house, which will be at a working farm near Docking, Norfolk.
Paragraph 55 of the NPPF states ‘Local planning authorities should avoid new isolated homes in the countryside unless there are special circumstances such as:
- the essential need for a rural worker to live permanently at or near their place of work in the countryside; or
- where such development would represent the optimal viable use of a heritage asset or would be appropriate enabling development to secure the future of heritage assets; or
- where the development would re-use redundant or disused buildings and lead to an enhancement to the immediate setting; or
- the exceptional quality or innovative nature of the design of the dwelling.
- Such a design should:
- be truly outstanding or innovative, helping to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas;
- reflect the highest standards in architecture;
- significantly enhance its immediate setting; and
- be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.
The committee report presents a summary of the application assessing the application of the above criteria in the NPPF and associated local policies, together with information on the submitted supporting evidence such as the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA).
View the committee report on the development (reference 14/01369/FM)
View ‘The Planner’ article on the approval and pictures of the proposal
