LYTCHETT MATRAVERS RES

Case Study

The existing site consists of a covered reservoir with areas of low value mixed grass and scrub land. Nest Homes identified part of site as having potential for residential development. We agreed with Wessex Water Services Ltd (WWSL) Estates and Operations departments that this area of land was surplus to future operational need.

The challenge - securing planning approval for residential use, allowing for easements to operational assets running through the proposed development area and maintain operational access to the reservoir.

The first activities were to identify the exact location of both the supply and waste mains to inform statutory easements and then to undertake ecological investigations to support the Planning Application. We undertook our market appraisal, supported by local Estate Agents to inform the built form, scale and design for our proposal. The phase one ecology survey led to further bat, reptile and badger surveys, leading to an agreed biodiversity mitigation plan with Dorset County. This allowed us to close, under licence, an outlying badger sett along with reptile translocation as part of the planning conditions.

We agreed with the client a proposal for a 25-unit residential development and submitted these plans to Pre-App, which gained initial Council approval. This was subject to agreeing affordable housing provision with Housing Officers and our chosen Housing Association partner. Prior to our application we held a public consultation meeting and separately engaged with the local Parish Council, from which we received mainly positive feedback to our proposal.

We submitted a full application for 25 dwellings, with affordable housing provision and associated access, car parking and landscaping. Our application was presented to the Planning Committee and approved. WWSL disposed of the land in Autumn 2021.