The Manhattan Loft Corporation acquired this 30 acre site following the closure of the Rode Bird Gardens in 2001. Prior to the Bird Gardens occupation, the site had accommodated a large 18th century country house that was demolished in the 1950’s.
After obtaining Lawful Development Certificates to establish an existing use fall back position, we achieved planning permission for the Phase I scheme. This related to the conversion and expansion of the central core of the site comprising the former stables buildings and walled gardens.
The second phase of the project covered 80% of the remaining outer site land area which contained a substantial arboretum, formal lawns and enclosures, and an ornamental lake. These decaying landscape features were associated with the former 18th century house and had been preserved to an extent during the Bird Garden occupation.
Achieving new development on this part of the site was a serious challenge given the open countryside location and planning policy presumption against new development on sustainability grounds. We constructed our case around the premise that the decaying landscape, although not listed, was of sufficient importance to merit retention. It was argued that this could only be achieved through the introduction of new high value residential uses specifically the strategic placement of two new substantial country houses, where future occupiers would have a clear incentive to maintain the grounds to an appropriate standard. Following a carefully orchestrated lobbying process of committee members we secured planning permission at local level for two new substantial country houses.