This scheme provides residential accommodation together with communal and private outdoor amenity areas for senior living for a site currently occupied by a two-storey concrete office building. It sits adjacent to a locally listed Victorian building and close to Weybridge town centre.
We were asked to review the scheme following dismissal at appeal, with the Inspector commenting that the proposal would result in ‘significant harm to the character and appearance of the area.’ Two design reviews were carried out, with further revisions to the design before the application was submitted. From a townscape point of view, the application scheme has responded to the inspector’s comments and to our recommendations by reducing the height of the building adjacent to Salisbury House, where an eaves line consistent with that of the locally listed building reduces the impact of the building, with second floor accommodation now contained within the roof.
The removal of three basement apartments meant a reduction in units, enabling private residential amenity for residents’ at ground floor as well as additional shared outdoor amenity space of a higher quality to the rear of the development. A complex roof form has been rationalised and the form and mass of the building have a much greater honesty in relation to the internal layout, with a more clearly articulated point of entrance from Queens Road. The form of the building is now articulated as three volumes which reflect the scale and grain of the existing detached villas, including Salisbury House. Potential conflict between pedestrians and vehicles at the entrance to the development has been mitigated by relocating the vehicle drop-off/parking zone at the front of the building, providing an enhanced pedestrian entrance sequence into and through the building, affording welcoming views directly through the lobby to the rear courtyard.
At the time of the reapplication Paul Falconer, Development Manager, Elmbridge Borough Council commented that “…the input from DSE has made significant changes in the design between the previous refused scheme and the current scheme under consideration.” Christine McNulty, Planning Manager, PegasusLife, reflecting on the reviews commented that “The experience with Design South East was positive and extremely helpful, creating a collaborative team.”
- Developer:
- PegasusLife
- LPA:
- Elmbridge Borough Council