Planning & Design Practice LTD’s Post

So, if you’ve followed us for some time, you'll probably already know what a big project Waterbeach New Town East is to us. This proposed new settlement in #Cambridgeshire has #wellbeing and car-free living at its heart. It’s contextual and designed to be both distinctive and at one with its Fens environment and ecology. It’s also been a massive team effort over two decades that has drawn in members of the LDA Design team from EIA specialists to masterplanners, landscape architects to environmental planners and ecologists. And now to the good news … it has just secured #planning approval! 👏 This news has made it a really special end to the year for us and for everyone that worked so hard to make this happen. Most importantly, we hope that Waterbeach NTE will become a fantastic place to live, one that delivers richly on its promise with the right mix of housing and density – a place that is playful, healthy, well connected and where it will be easy to get to know your neighbours. We talk about putting wellbeing at the heart of the Government’s 1.5m homes drive – Waterbeach NTE is it. Full story here: https://lnkd.in/e5X3zYDE Our news story here: https://lnkd.in/ePDVSGsm The list to congratulate and thank is long, but it includes all who make up the Waterbeach Development Company, a joint venture between Turnstone Estates, Royal London Asset Management and Aquila Investments, and including Turnstone Estates MD Tim Deacon. Well done to the project team including LDA Design I Boyer I Town Legal LLP I Carter Jonas I Clewlow Consulting Limited I WSP in the UK I Mott MacDonald I BSG Ecology I Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd I Concilio and more. From LDA Design, the list to cheer is long, and includes Colin Goodrum Bernie Foulkes Robert Pile David Wesselingh Ian Houlston Ruth Knight Tom Perry Frazer Osment Nick Atkinson and many more. #landscape #landscapearchitecture #environmentalplanning #biodiversity #placemaking #masterplanning #planning #newsettlements #wellbeing #Cambridgeshire #homes #healthylifestyles #activelifestyles #betterplaces #connectivity #WaterbeachDevelopmentCompany

Weiser Heritage Consultancy is pleased to share that we have submitted a listed building application for the demolition of a severely fire damaged listed building. Shock/horror I hear you gasp! I agree. This is far from the usual project that I am involved with or even prefer to submit. However, this one is unique. The 16th century thatched and timber framed building is part of a pair of semi-detached homes, which was historically a single dwelling. Whilst much of the original timber frame and historic fabric remained, modern materials and methods were introduced into our half of the building in the 20th century, which impacts its overall significance. After the fire, the other side wanted to carry out repairs to their half of the building, which is fair enough. However, included in their application for these works was the demolition of a metre (!!) of our half of the building to access the party wall. The owner of our half of the building vehemently opposed the application and proposal as it would impact and damage her house, let alone the special architectural and historic interest of the building. Despite this, the council granted permission for this work. When I visited the property the metre wide gap between the two buildings had already been created. The two buildings were no longer semi-detached. The list description is now wrong. From my experience as a conservation officer at a local authority, it is typical practice that the council needs to consult Historic England regarding every application proposing partial or full demolition of a listed building, as well as other amenity societies. The council did not undertake this step in the processing of this listed building application. As a result, the fire damaged listed building permanently lost its association with the adjacent property. The two buildings, once a single dwelling and structurally tied together, were no longer attached. Our application states that since our half of the building has already been partially demolished, and the rest of it is not capable of being repaired and rebuilt, we are applying for demolition of the remaining parts and are proposing a replacement new build. What would you do? Would you rebuild a new building detached? Would you seek to build a new structure that is physically attached to the other half? It is an interesting project that challenges my conservation ethos and stance. Now it is up to the local authority to determine. (There is a parallel planning application for the replacement building, which we have designed as a freestanding structure- not attached to the other half)

Haddenham Conservation Area Consultation   As the most recent Haddenham Conservation Area Appraisal is now 16 years old, Buckinghamshire Council is reviewing the appraisal to ensure it accurately represents Haddenham today. What is a Conservation Area? A Conservation Area is defined as an area of special architectural or historic interest which is worthy of protection. Haddenham's conservation area currently includes historic centres such as Church End, High Street, Fort End and Rudds Lane. A map of the existing conservation area can be viewed on Buckinghamshire Council's website. https://lnkd.in/eV3AVJZk Why is the Conservation Area Appraisal important? A Conservation Area Appraisal sets out the historic development and character of the designated area, to ensure that its special interest is conserved when change (such as new development or demolition) is proposed.   The review will be looking at all aspects of the Conservation Area, including its buildings, community assets, streets, street furniture, and green spaces. It will also asses the boundaries of the Conservation Area to ensure it best represents the village’s historic character. How to get involved Please follow the link to the online survey, where you can share your opinion on some of the following questions: - What makes Haddenham’s heritage special? - What are the threats to the Conservation Area? - Are there any opportunities to enhance Haddenham’s special character? - Should the Conservation Area boundaries change? - Which buildings and landmarks in Haddenham are locally important? Survey link:

Conservation Guidelines are #whatwedo! Planning a renovation to a heritage building and don’t know where to start? 🏛️ Conservation guidelines are an effective way to plan for compatible and strategic change. Our role in developing guidelines starts by evaluating the existing heritage fabric and noting areas of high, medium and low heritage value both on the interior and exterior of the building. With this assessment, key heritage elements are identified, including materials and spatial relationships that contribute to the building’s overall value. ♻️ As part of the guidelines, we provide suggestions for future changes to either restore previously obscured heritage or elements to be prioritized for conservation. Other focus areas of the guidelines may include opportunities for expansion, additions or sympathetic changes necessary to meet current needs. Weighing contemporary requirements with intrinsic heritage values and existing spatial arrangements can help guide future interventions by considering their anticipated impacts. Contact Us at hello@tracearch.ca to get started on your heritage building!

Does your attic count as a storey? In a landmark decision that sheds light on the complexities of heritage conservation and design excellence, the New South Wales Land and Environment Court ruled in favour of the applicant in Blainey North and Associates Pty Ltd v Council of the City of Sydney [2024]. Read more below. #property #renovate #developmentapplication #construction #proposal

What do you know about the Canal & River Trust? Historic England hosted the Trust for a truly eye opening webinar yesterday where we learned more about what they do and how they manage their historic environment in England and Wales. Did you know, the Trusts holding covers 46 Scheduled Monuments, 2,700 listed buildings (including 13 at Grade I), 6 battlefields and 4 World Heritage Sites? Plus numerous non-designated heritage assets. No wonder they take this responsibility to seriously, and that these assets must be considered in their context (its not just heritage but reservoirs, public access, the wider transport network, and climate change challenges amongst other topics to deal with). It was great to hear they are progressing plans for a Listed Building Consent Order to help protect these heritage assets in a more streamlined and consistent way, and also to learn more about some of the maintenance and repair projects the Trust have spearheaded (with numerous partners and funders) in recent years. So why not get out there and appreciate the wonderful cultural, industrial and engineering heritage of our waterways this autumn. 15% of people who live within a 15 minute walk of one of these amazing routes, you lucky people. https://lnkd.in/ebcFtdQu

An interesting article for comparison with conservation in the UK - What is the heritage protection system? Heritage protection may be imposed on a person’s property and can reduce the relatively safe value of a property with little compensation to seek for any loss. For this reason, heritage protection schemes are highly publicised and controversial; some high street historical buildings may be worth preserving via heritage controls, however when such schemes are imposed on privately owned dwellings a homeowner may experience the single biggest drop in wealth a person can experience in their life. At the heart of the issue is whether a property is genuinely worth preserving. As historical cities like Melbourne and Sydney grow, the argument intensifies as cities expand and more economic uses for space are required.  Generally, there are two types of local heritage protections: a heritage listing generally covers land and buildings, while a heritage overlay usually controls modifications only to the external parts of a building. For items of local heritage significance, such as most homes, these protections are applied in planning schemes by local council. The Council identifies and manages these additional protections by requiring permits for any changes that could affect heritage significance. Its purpose may be to: To conserve and enhance heritage places of cultural significance.  To conserve and enhance those elements which contribute to the significance of heritage places.  To ensure that development does not adversely affect the significance of heritage places.   To conserve specifically identified heritage places by allowing a use that would otherwise be prohibited if this will demonstrably assist with the conservation of the significance of the heritage value Follow the ink to explore matters further .........

When planning renovations or development work on a historic building or site, a Heritage Impact Statement will justify any impact on the value or significance of the heritage asset and its surroundings to support planning approval and listed building applications. We’d recommend getting a heritage impact assessment completed when: - Altering or extending a listed building (e.g., flat renovation). - Development near a scheduled monument or conservation area. - Works affecting World Heritage Sites or locally listed heritage assets. - Demolition or significant alterations to historic buildings. For more information on Heritage Impact Statements, head to our website ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eEMc-PJG #heritagestatement #listedbuilding #historicbuilding #renovation #propertydevelopment

🏛️ Preserving Cultural Heritage with TotaLite Deformation like subsidence, cracking, frame distortion, and foundation issues in cultural heritage are becoming more frequent, more complex and cost monuments like Sagrada Familia, Domtoren Utrecht and St Mary Abchurch a lot of money to renovate. Challenges of preserving monuments 🔍 Aging monuments and increasing construction nearby 🌍 Unpredictable ground and foundation effects of climate change 💡 Lack of timely insights leading to higher costs and unnecessary damage How TotaLite makes a difference ✅ Continuous, real-time deformation insights at a fraction of traditional costs ✅ Easy-to-install, operate and understand; no expertise required ✅ Actionable data for timely, cost-effective decisions @owners or other heroes involved in preserving cultural heritage, do these challenges resonate with you? Let’s protect our heritage together! ➡️ Read more in our case study "Preserving a Farmhouse in France" #CulturalHeritage #Preservation #Innovation #Monitoring #TotaLite