PD approval for Mercury Park
Brooks Murray obtained permission to convert 7 no. two storey buildings at ground to first floor from commercial (E Class) to residential (C3), to accommodate 76 selfcontained flats.
The proposal includes the provision of car parking spaces and private landscaping proposals for each ground floor flat.
King’s Foundation Visit to Chapelton
During September, the King’s Foundation visited Chapelton to explore the growing town.
This little book was prepared for the visit of the King’s Foundation in September, to explain design intent behind key sites in the town, and to show proposals become reality.
Take a look here: Cairnhill Design Proposals 2010-2024
Mill Green Village shortlisted for the RTPI East of England Awards
We are delighted to announce that Mill Green Village has been shortlisted at the RTPI East of England Awards for Planning Excellence 2024 in the category “Best Project – Excellence in Planning for Communities (small schemes under 50 homes)”.
The initial target of the project was: bring the Green Man pub back to life. The challenge was how to do this in a way that was viable on a highly-constrained site that offered few easy solutions. This was achieved in 2023 through a project whose cornerstone was engagement and collaboration.
It emerged, in 2010, with a request from the community to the Gascoyne Estate to purchase and save the Green Man pub. This led to the 2011 Mill Green Charrette: bringing friends and residents of Mill Green, and wider stakeholders, into the design process immediately and setting the groundwork for collaborative, open and transparent communication. The Charrette raised deeper concerns beyond the pub which the project then also sought to address: no social meeting space, poor street lighting, noise from the A414, inaccessible green space.
Beginning with this extensive community engagement, we developed a complex planning application that received unanimous public support – remarkable within Hertfordshire’s Green Belt. Proposals needed to accord with the historic environment, to demonstrate the very exceptional circumstances to overcome a presumption against development, and incorporate designs that responded to environment, location and topography (e.g. MVHR systems responding to the noise of the A414 road).
To know more about the project click here.
Related links:
https://www.rtpi.org.uk/find-your-rtpi/rtpi-english-regions/rtpi-east-of-england/east-of-england-awards-for-planning-excellence/
Construction starts on Salisbury Square, Hatfield
Following demolition works, we are excited to begin the construction of this new mixed use block and housing scheme in Old Hatfield town centre.
Salisbury Square is a crucial part of the Old Hatfield regeneration masterplan by Gascoyne Estate.
The project will provide retail space at ground floor with a mix of commercial and residential units on the upper floors. Additional 5 new townhouses will be built to complete the street scene at Arm & Sword Lane.
The buildings have been designed with traditional architectural style and detailing in line with the Hatfield Design Code but following sustainability principles with great thermal insulation, heat recovery systems and air sourced heat pumps. This is all part of the long term commitment of the Estate to tackle climate crisis.
Mill Green Village shortlisted for the RICS Awards 2024
We are delighted to announce that Mill Green Village has been shortlisted for the East of England RICS Awards 2024 in the community benefit and residential categories.
Mill Green is a hamlet in central Hertfordshire, once unnoticed by most motorists speeding past the village along the A414 or A1000. Brooks Murray revitalised the hamlet, focussed around restoration of the Grade II Green Man pub. Beginning with extensive community engagement, we developed a complex planning application that received unanimous public support, remarkable within Hertfordshire’s Green Belt. This delivered 9 new homes, a sensitively restored listed pub, new public real gateway to the village green and community amenity space on the meadow, combining vernacular architecture with 21stC technology.
This is a beautiful, enduring rejuvenation of a small community.
To know more about the project click here.
Related links:
https://www.rics.org/training-events/rics-awards/uk-awards
Perth West planning approved
The Perth West Masterplan, prepared by BMA, was submitted in support of a Planning Permission in Principle for a mixed-use development to the west of Perth and was approved by by Perth & Kinross Council last week.
It provides the context of the comprehensive MU70 masterplan for the application site, incorporating the findings of various assessments to determine a land-use framework, informed through engagement with neighbouring landowners, consistent with the provisions of the Local Development Plan (LDP).
A robust delivery strategy has been produced which outlines how the project will be implemented, covering phasing, funding and timing of the proposals. An access strategy outlines the access and accessibility of Perth West. Open spaces, planting and biodiversity issues are addressed within this Masterplan, as well as movement, connectivity and scale.
The vision for development west of Perth is to integrate city-scale clean energy with new mobility infrastructure, modern urban logistics, progressive public transport and future street design to accelerate clean and inclusive growth. In doing so, the aim is to create new sustainable communities which are appropriately integrated with the surrounding area and to the city centre. The proposed urban form is illustrated in a number of ways, with supporting drawings, diagrams and sketches demonstrating the vision for the proposed character areas.
Perth West includes 25 hectares of land for commercial development where direct access to the A9 as well as core electricity infrastructure will create highly skilled job opportunities for Perth.
There are also plans for 1,500 energy-efficient homes set out in a 15-minute neighbourhood design, with electric vehicle and electric bike charging infrastructure, car sharing options, public transport and cycle paths.
Related articles:
https://www.scotsman.com/business/in-depth-major-milestone-reached-for-planned-perth-west-economic-powerhouse-development-4399720
Scotland homes: Perth housing and transport hub approved | The Herald (heraldscotland.com)
Perth West green light paves way for 1,000 new jobs | Scottish Construction Now
Learn more about Perth West:
https://www.perthwest.com/
Salisbury Square Restoration Continues
December 2021, Old Hatfield.
We submitted a planning application for Salisbury Square late last year. The proposals are based on traditional, local proportions and detailing, and are the result of years of work reflecting feedback given by the local communities. They seek to reinstate the old trajectory of Arm and Sword Lane with five townhouses, invigorate the Square and return the character of Old Hatfield lost in the latter parts of the twentieth century.
Goodmayes Two Storey Extension Approved
Following 9 months of pre application discussion and complex planning negotiation Brooks Murray have had approval for 6 flats in Goodmayes, East London. The proposal ties together an External Alterations application to reconstruct the second floor façade and a Prior Approval application under Class AB to innovatively rejuvenate and extend the existing dated terraced building, bringing both the internal accommodation and the street façade up to contemporary standards.
Hartsbourne Country Club unanimously approved
Brooks Murray Architects have recently had their masterplan for Hartsbourne Country Club in Bushey Heath unanimously approved by the Hertsmere planning committee.
BMA were appointed in 2017 to develop a proposal for the greenbelt site that would bring back residential uses to the historic manor house setting and provide all new state of the art golfing facilities. The proposals hope to ensure the clubs survival in the face of challenging times for golf which has seen the closure of three other clubs in the local area.
After 3 years of productive pre-application discussion with Hertsmere Planning Department, a lively public consultation evening and a further 2 years of refinement, the successful design was supported by planners and the committee panel. The proposal was praised by the committee for being entirely policy compliant whilst also bringing modern and sustainable architectural design to the sensitive site.
We hope to see the 180 acre project progress to construction phases as soon as possible!
Mill Green Pub Restoration and Housing Development
Following a charrette in 2011 and several years developing the scheme, construction has now started at Mill Green, Hertfordshire. Local contractors Jarvis Construction Ltd. has started to restore and extend the grade 2 listed Green Man pub while also building nine new homes set into the existing built landscape, which will when complete, overlook a new village green and central meadow adjacent to the River Lea.