100% affordable scheme for Gravesham Council granted planning permission

30 - 07 - 2018

Gravesham Council has granted planning permission for BPTW’s Whitehill Lane scheme in Gravesend. Consisting of 8 family houses and 24 apartments, the scheme will be 100% affordable and provides a variety of 1, 2, and 3 bed homes. The challenging site resulted in a split-level design with living rooms to the houses leading out onto terraced gardens. The apartment blocks benefit from a courtyard space centred around a cloister, and 100% of the homes achieve dual aspect views. The scheme has been designed to be sensitive to the local context whilst bringing modern elements into play. The scheme received unanimous approval at committee on the 18^th July 2018, with construction due to start in the Autumn of 2019. Whitehill Lane is one of a number of schemes BPTW has worked on with Gravesham Council to secure and deliver more affordable homes in the area.

Sharon Donald, Housing Strategy and Development Manager at Gravesham Borough Council commented:

“Gravesham Borough Council has worked with BPTW Architects for several years on projects ranging from the redevelopment of garage courts to the replacement of bedsit accommodation and redundant Council owned buildings with new, fit for purpose social housing.

Some of the sites have been challenging with many planning constraints and testing topography.  Nonetheless, bptw has designed schemes to overcome these constraints that have subsequently met with planning approval.

Our most recent proposal included the demolition of a redundant community centre set on a plateau and an extremely steep area of land to the rear of the centre.

bptw considered the best use of the land and its contours, whilst taking into account the borough’s known housing need and presented a scheme that will deliver a 24-unit apartment block on the site of the community centre with 8 split-level family houses to the rear.

With particular attention being paid to external design, communal landscaping and links between the sites, the proposal was very well received by the council’s Planning Committee with a unanimous permission being granted.

BPTW and Gravesham have worked well together and, as our schemes grow in size and complexity, we continue to appreciate their knowledge, experience and ‘can-do’ outlook.”