Should We Make Sense Of Architectural Designers?
Standing at a crossroads and deciding which direction to walk is a metaphor for life. Its also apt when describing how to select the best Architectural Designers*. Hopefully this blog post will help you find the right direction.*
While there is general agreement that an acute housing shortage exists, particularly in London and the South East, there is disagreement over whether compact city models that focus on ‘brownfield’ land can provide sufficient developable land. Negotiating the planning process can be very expensive and protracted and requires specialist skills and experience to realise the best outcomes and a permission which is capable of being implemented. It is also costly with a considerable number of specialist reports and supporting documents required to address all of the issues arising from any proposed development. Where it has been concluded that it is necessary to release Green Belt land for development, plans should set out ways in which the impact of removing land from the Green Belt can be offset through compensatory improvements to the environmental quality and accessibility of remaining Green Belt land. Proposals for developments in the green belt should be of a high quality traditional or contemporary, innovative design which interprets and adapts traditional principles and features. The design must be sensitive to and respect its immediate setting and wider surroundings. Standardised urban solutions which do not reflect local character will be unacceptable. Detailed drawings and plans are needed for the majority of green belt building projects whether that's getting a planning application underway for a new building, refurbish an old or damaged one, or maybe, you want to adapt a building that you could use more profitably for a different purpose. Working closely with either in-house team of planners or a client's external planning consultants, an urbanism team can test and assess competing sites as well as ascertain both the development potential of a site and the benefits to local communities in terms of the introduction of new and expanded services as well as new homes, employment development and infrastructure.
Just consider what would happen if national government abolished all Green Belts tomorrow: there would be an immediate land speculation boom, as developers, investors, dealers and brokers piled in to buy up potentially developable sites, hoping to cash in on easy profits. With urbanisation growing since the greenbelt was first proposed, there is a need to offer the necessary provisions for a growing city from housing to hospitals to retail and hospitality amenities. London is set to only grow further and with cities being destination priorities over rural areas, greenbelts often are seen as an outdated constraint that doesn’t meet the cities' needs today. Many modern farm enterprises have also sought to diversify their offer to supplement existing income streams. Such diversification can take many forms but often includes the introduction of farm shops, processing facilities or the provision of associated rural leisure activities. The change of use of existing farm buildings to accommodate alternative uses does not require planning permission in some instances. The philosophy for an enthusiastic and dedicated team of green belt architects is to communicate, engage and collaborate throughout the design process with Clients, Stakeholders and end users. They believe a pro-active methodology and inclusive decision-making process enables imaginative, creative and positive design. Designing around Architect London can give you the edge that you're looking for.
Working Together
There is no doubt LAs, particularly those which surround urban areas are struggling with complex issues related to green belt developments, given the political backlash from Councillors and local residents. It is clear that Green Belt land is making an important contribution to the full range of cultural ecosystem services including healthy lifestyles, educational activity, opportunities for outdoor sport and social well-being. With its proximity to the majority of the population there is scope to do more to encourage outdoor education, recreation and sport close to where people live. Once Green Belts have been defined, local planning authorities should plan positively to enhance their beneficial use, such as looking for opportunities to provide access; to provide opportunities for outdoor sport and recreation; to retain and enhance landscapes, visual amenity and biodiversity; or to improve damaged and derelict land. Planning authorities are under strict regulatory obligations as to who they have to notify of a planning application, and when. Those rules do not always require letters to be sent to neighbours – sometimes a site notice will do. Green Belt land drives up inequality by putting up barriers to those who can’t afford to live in city centres. On the other hand, it relegates city dwellers to increasingly tighter, more densely populated areas. Thanks to justification and design-led proposals featuring Net Zero Architect the quirks of Green Belt planning stipulations can be managed effectively.
Architects of green belt buildings are creative and communicative professionals, and their skill lies in designing unique spaces without forsaking aesthetic, all with accurate costings. Green Belt designation is effectively the highest level of protection from development that the planning system can afford an area of land. As a result, green belt building rules are challenging to navigate. However, that doesn’t mean that securing planning permission for new homes in the Green Belt is impossible. Green belt land has a huge amount of buildable potential. If you can navigate the policies carefully, they can provide countless, high-reward investment opportunities, often in stunning areas. Countryside campaigners have long called for an even larger green belt designation and greater protections therein. In 2010, a report from Natural England and CPRE (formerly the Campaign to Protect Rural England), entitled ‘Green Belts: A greener future’, concluded that Green Belt policy was “highly effective” in its principal purpose, but called for “more ambition” to further enhance the Green Belt protection for future generations. New housing in the green belt should be well related in scale and siting to the existing adjoining development, reflect local distinctiveness and respect the existing built form, the landform and the local landscape character. The proposal must have regard to the existing character of the built frontage, for example, a two storey house if the built frontage comprises of two storey houses. My thoughts on New Forest National Park Planning differ on a daily basis.
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Development in the green belt should respect local patterns of scale, proportion and density and avoid the introduction of suburban-style developments into the rural environment. Designers of homes for the green belt sometimes work on residential and commercial projects ranging from townhouse refurbishments and extensions to rural conversions and adaptations. Certified groups and individuals come together to make green buildings a reality. The process begins even before breaking ground with site surveys for topography, drainage/soil samples, and sun patterns. By combining their vision for the future with your vision of a dream home, designers of homes for the green belt take a considered approach to design, planning, and construction. The development of small scale sites on the edge of existing settlements can represent a sustainable form of development that supports local services and reduces the need to travel. The inclusion of land for residential development on the edge of settlements can also represent an opportunity to 'round off' existing towns and villages within the rural area. Proposals should be of an appropriate scale and form that is proportionate to the size and character of the existing settlement. Formulating opinions on matters such as Green Belt Planning Loopholes can be a time consuming process.
The Green Belt is an extremely sensitive area of planning and requires detailed thinking as to how best to consider projects affected by it. Some architects have high level experience of dealing with complex and land mark Green Belt cases in the UK. The early stages of a project are critical to its future success along with a required attention to detail beyond the normal planning process. The government needs to invest in the Green Belt on a major scale if ministers are to meet their political commitments to protecting and enhancing the countryside next door for 30 million people. The alternative to funding the Green Belt increases the risk of it being built on it instead. History repeatedly shows that when protected countryside is under-appreciated it’s at risk of being lost forever to development. The natural environment is constantly subject to change influenced by both natural processes and human impact. To ensure that the character and biodiversity of areas are maintained it is important to plan and manage at a landscape scale. As we settle into our new reality for the medium to long term, we are seeing some encouraging discussions around the imperative to design for a low-carbon future, such as investing in infrastructure that supports walking and cycling as well as green energy. Policymakers are under pressure to release protected land for new development and change urban growth boundaries. However, this development results in the loss of productive farmland and natural areas. As cities and regions face challenges with environmental degradation and agricultural viability, research finds that greenbelts are or can be an important land-use planning tool to manage growth. Maximising potential for GreenBelt Land isn't the same as meeting client requirements and expectations.
The Consideration Of Green Belt
Sociological changes, new technology in industry and commerce, new building codes, other new laws and regulations, inflationary economies of nations, and advances in building technology place an ever-increasing burden on building designers and constructors. They need more and more knowledge and skill to cope with the demands placed on them. It is simply not acceptable for local authorities to be pressured by the Government and the Planning Inspectorate into giving permission to developers to concrete over so much of our Green Belt countryside and open spaces. There is ample brownfield land upon which to build new homes and when population growth is slowing markedly due to the drop in immigration since Brexit and the Covid epidemic and that people are having smaller families. Green Belt boundaries - which are precise - are laid out in Local Plans. The Local Plan is the document produced by the planning authority (usually a district or borough council in England) to provide a policy for planning decisions. Land included in the Green Belt must contribute to one or more of the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in Planning Policy Guidance. Get extra info regarding Architectural Designers at this Open Spaces Society article.
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