Reallocation of commercial land located to the rear of a parade of shops next to Overpool Road for 20 homes
| Location | Site size | |
| Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK | 1.5 acres |
| Planning Scope | Planning Timeframe | |
| Change of use on commercial land for residential development. | 10 months |
| Professional Consultants | Gross Development Value | |
| A Mcdonald and Associates (Architects) David Walpole and Associates (Transport Consultants) EAO Solutions (Legal) |
20 x £150k = £3 million |
| Sold to | Current Status | |
| IAC Group | Completed |
| Project Summary |
| The 'backland' project at Overpool Road, on vacant agricultural land to the rear of a parade of commercial premises, was complex in its scope. LPG had to overcome issues relating to privacy on the site (there were existing houses on three of the site’s borders); access (the road which offered access was owned and used by the shop owners); contamination (since in practice the site had been used for commercial purposes), and flooding. LPG was able to demonstrate, through the application of a flood investigation report and a soil analysis study, that flooding and contamination risks did not pertain to the site. The issue of privacy was overcome through a low-rise design and the judicious use of shrubbery and hedgerows. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the application was that of access and, by proxy, safety. The road was too narrow to accommodate the proposed development. A traffic impact report was thus commissioned by LPG in respect of the implications of shared use of an enlarged access road. The study showed that LPG’s proposed new lay-out (using a radius design) was fit-for-purpose, indeed, it improved traffic and pedestrian visibility. Planning permission was awarded for 20 homes. |