Green Belt Planning Triumph for DWA Architects Ltd

Award winning multi-disciplinary practice, DWA Architects, have gained planning permission for a 53 bed dementia facility in Bury, Lancashire. The new facility will be located next to Walshaw Hall, a locally listed building which was converted into a 50 bed residential home over 25 years ago.

The co owners of the home are extremely pleased with the decision which will result in the provision of much needed quality dementia care and will create more jobs in the area. The committee voted 10 for the scheme and 1 against and commended the operator in bringing this much needed facility to the area.

The process of gaining approval in the Green Belt was led by Andrew Cross of DWA Architects (Warrington office) and, Richard Borrows Planning consultant at DWA’s sister company Ward Associates.(York office)

Talking of the process, Mr Cross said….’, ‘we have a fantastic success rate in gaining planning consents for our Clients but this is hugely significant, given its Green Belt location. We have taken great care to guide our Clients through the process, involving the Local Authority at a very early stage and designing a scheme which is sympathetic to the existing Hall. Gaining a planning permission is never easy but by taking a staged approach we minimise our Client’s costs in order to protect their exposure as much as possible. Walshaw Hall is a great example of putting together the right information and making a strong case which can then hopefully overcome what seemed at the outset to be a very tall order.’

Planning Consultant Richard Borrows added, “it has been really rewarding to work with a Council who have taken a pragmatic view on green belt development. What they did was to ask themselves what visual impact would there be given that this is an extremely well screened site? Bury Council gave us very helpful, positive advice at the pre-application stage and they stood by their position when it came to determining the application. It would be great if other Councils behaved with such consistency!”

Following initial pre-application advice the application was supported by a very special circumstance report, demographic report and a sequential test which determined that this was indeed an appropriate development in the Green Belt.

The project is due to start on site in early summer 2013, with a planned opening during Autumn 2014.