Information provided here will assist anyone planning any form of brownfield redevelopment in England and Wales, whether for mass extensions, changes of use, demolition and reconstruction or other major reconstruction. The guideline covers key considerations when assessing potential development sites which should help assess risk associated with planning.
Hoi Hup Realty and Sunway joined forces to develop The Continuum. Established in Singapore since 1983, Hoi Hup Realty’s real estate development experience spans various real estate related businesses; over the last four years this group has actively acquired land through government land sales as well as through an en bloc exercise.
Hoi Hup Realty have completed several developments prior to introducing The Continuum Condo Condominium complex. These projects include Waterford Residence, Sophia Hills at Mount Sophia, The Continuum Showflat, Whitley Residences and soon-to-be Terra Hill in Pasir Panjang.
These tips are in no specific order of importance as I believe each is equally vital:
Surrounding Character and Appearance
My priority when visiting any site for development is understanding the character and vibe of its environment. By this I mean recognizing the type of materials utilized as well as the size and density of development and potential signs that could indicate danger or any concerns with what you want to accomplish. When making major modifications to a plot for redevelopment in an urbanized zone, they must consider its impact on both appearance and character of the place. As soon as you propose altering the appearance of a place, you must demonstrate to the local planning authority that what you propose has a positive effect on its appearance and character. Your overall design should strive for positive net impact on an area or at least neutral impacts; use architectural plans along with accompanying design or Access Statement to show this impact.
Scale and Massing
Your plot’s location will ultimately dictate its limits when it comes to width, height and depth of any planned development. For instance, if it is located in an area where three storeys is the maximum height allowed with loft conversions as an exception (ie three storeys plus loft conversions are considered suitable development sites), any proposals submitted for consideration will have to take this into account before proceeding further with plans of five or four storey development sites within that street scene.
Sustainability of Your Location
Considerations of sustainability pertain to access to facilities and services rather than green principles; what you must demonstrate is that your redevelopment proposal fits within its surrounding environment. If you plan to construct an urban residential area on land that is currently not being used as such, you must demonstrate to local planning authorities that such an endeavor will be sustainable and that anyone living on that piece of property has access to all required local services and amenities without needing a vehicle for their daily commutes. Sustainability of any place often dictates the amount of parking that must be provided at residential developments, and its density. When proposing dense residential units, sustainability will likely make your plans more feasible since more likely you are able to create one with acceptable densities.
Existing Parking Arrangements
Parking issues often become an obstacle when applying for planning permission. Under any given set of circumstances, two aspects must be kept in mind when developing any project: 1) being able to demonstrate that no additional parking pressure will be put on a highway in question and) the site can either provide enough parking spaces to justify itself or utilize green travel and sustainable transportation measures within local plan authorities. Depending on where you reside in an urban area, your local authority for planning may require that new developments either be parking-free or contain limited parking as part of their goal to promote green transportation measures. Could the development be fully parking-free or must it take into account an obligation that prevents residents from parking on roads?
Existing Boundary Treatments
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen often enough for my taste! So here I am with a piece to share about why and how. When planning the development of your site, particular care must be taken if there are specific provisions for boundary treatments in the scheme, such as thick hedgerows and trees lining its borders or high walls obstructing access, or dense urban settings where connecting walls obstruct site development as in this example; all of these aspects will ultimately influence how it will be developed. If the site you are considering for development is enclosed by walls that are shared, any proposed development must take into account how it could impact these walls and any significant screening offered by the surrounding environment. It’s also important to keep in mind that any development is subject to planning evaluation based on its potential impacts and in this instance you must show that in this hypothetical situation your development would still fit with its surrounding environment.
Daylight and Sunlight Implications
These impacts are becoming more important to any planning application, particularly residential ones. Every application you make must demonstrate that the light-filled spaces you propose to build, especially residential areas, provide high quality living spaces and amenities to their inhabitants. As part of your site evaluation process, when considering a site you must take note of its orientation towards the sun as well as any existing developments surrounding your property and any natural restrictions that prevent or reduce sunlight entering units within them as well as whether your plan will impact upon lighting, daylight or shadowing on nearby properties.
Potential for Overlooking or Outlook Harm
When considering a site for development, it is crucial to keep in mind the impact it might have on nearby receptors (neighbors), in addition to any possible ramifications on those living nearby. We’ve discussed the effects of sunlight and daylight, shadows and overlooking, but also harm to an outlook, which becomes especially important when there are residential properties nearby. Your proposed development could affect views in existing interior areas of the property and cause overlooking on private spaces for adjacent properties. Furthermore, increased visibility could bring further complications that require careful management to avoid overlooking on private areas that adjoin it. If you are planning a residential area with balconies or large numbers of windows that obstruct surrounding properties, will their locations have any adverse impact on privacy in terms of what would be considered acceptable standards?
Surrounding Use Classes
When proposing the development of any specific type on a site, it’s crucial to take into account nearby uses as part of both plan argument and environmental health considerations. For instance, if your plan includes setting up residential use within an area dominated by commercial activities (for example if planning to establish residence within such area), proof must be shown to local planning authorities that their proposed use will not create health hazards by way of air quality, noise levels and smells from such activities that have currently existed therein.
Amenity Space or Alternative Space Options
Residential developments must provide amenity space of high quality when first introduced to the market, however in certain situations – particularly areas with high density or inner cities where meeting this standard of amenity spaces may be virtually impossible – you must demonstrate to the local planning authority that enough open space exists at an acceptable distance walking distance from the property.
Pertinent Local Examples
In terms of planning, it’s not wise to rely on precedents established elsewhere for guidance. When viewing your development area from afar and can see other similar projects within reasonable proximity, that indicates a history of successful developments there.
