The site being a redundant farmyard had many benefits to support its inclusion within the housing allocation. Firstly, it is mostly concealed from public view as it is located behind a line of existing houses, accessed between its nearest neighbour and the existing farmhouse – which would be retained in our proposal. Secondly the farmyard constitutes brownfield land, which is far more sustainable than looking for greenfield locations in which to allocate new housing development.

A public footpath is located along the eastern boundary of the site, and we have carefully integrated it into the design. It links neatly into a proposed landscaped amenity that promotes intensified biodiversity, enhanced ecological benefits and usable public amenity space. This south-eastern portion of the site is proposed to buffer the impact of new houses, forming a softer boundary between the development and the adjacent existing houses.

The design of the concept layout for this site is formed around a single point of access into the site, with a low-density casual arrangement of dwellings, typical for a rural location. Existing hedgerows are retained, and new landscaping will include the planting of indigenous species as well as a community orchard, areas of natural play for children, dog walking routes and other community benefits.