Full planning permission for a self-build dwelling in Ludham
Hardy Planners are pleased to have secured full planning permission for a self-build dwelling in Ludham at application stage. A great result delivered in collaboration with Graham Brown, one we’re are looking to build upon in future projects.
Hardy Planners completed the planning statement with a Design and Access Statement section which included a Heritage Impact Assessment. The site was close to the Ludham Conservation Area but we argued the proposed dwelling was positioned behind the donor dwelling in a way that shielded it. As such, it was considered it had a negligible impact on the setting of the Conservation Area at best.
There was a small isolated path of surface water by the access therefore a FRA and Surface Water Drainage Strategy accompanied the application by Evans Rivers and Coastal that ensured the proposed development was compliant with Paragraph 175 of the NPPF and National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG) of September 2025.
The scheme hinged on highway safety. Malthouse Road is not adopted and whilst Norfolk County Council Highways objected to the application because there are no passing places, Hardy Planners commissioned a Highways Statement from a qualified consultant who carried out traffic counts and speed surveys. We had to negotiate an extension of time which the officers were reluctant to provide and when they did allow us to carry out the works, they made it clear we only got the one extension. Bad weather caused a delay in getting the reports to the LPA but we appreciated their understanding when they offered us a further extension.
Off the back of this evidence, the consultant strongly made the case that the impact on highway safety in the area from 1 no. additional dwelling was again negligible at best. Whilst NCC Highways still objected, the planning officer overrode them and approved the application.
The applicant spent a lot of money on the purchase of the land and was going to have to rent a property nearby whilst the application and potentially the appeal played out. We kept on top of the application, however, from start to finish and managed to get approval at application stage without going to appeal. This saved the applicant time and money.
Are you looking for a planning consultant who can maximise chances of success by getting an approval the first time of asking? Without the need for a resubmission or an appeal?
Getting it right first time can save you time and money in an ever more complex planning world.
At Hardy Planners, we assess planning policy, material considerations, planning histories, relevant appeal decisions, case law and political factors to enable the best possible case to be made based on our decades of combined experience of working in Planning Departments and private consultancies.