April 2012

Designing a New House...

I set up a meeting with Ewan Cameron, an architect friend in April 2012. 
  
We wanted to explore the idea of subdividing our garden into two plots leaving us with the old house and a smaller garden.

Ewan advised us that we should aim to get planning permission for the piece of land that we wanted to sell.  This would increase the sale prospects and the value of the land too.

In order to get planning permission, we'd first need to design a house that would  go on the new plot of land.

So collectively we got our thinking caps on and came up with a few ideas for what sort of house might work on the plot of land at the bottom of the garden.

After several iterations, led by Ewan, we all arrived at what we all agreed would work perfectly on the site.

The only issue was that now, having invested so much time and emotional effort in the project, we wanted to build the new house for ourselves.

High Pines

We applied for planning permission. 

We eventually received planning permission in December 2012.  This involved much work with the council Roads Department, The Tree Officer and The Planning Department.

The biggest hurdle that we faced during this period was in regard to Trees and Tree Preservation.  To that end we employed the services of Alan Motion, a local Arboreal Consultant who help us to develop a Tree Protection Plan that set out tree work and root protection areas for the site.