Plans will devalue house sites

CHANGES TO planning regulations could devalue sites with the potential for a new country house, according to land agents.

Earlier in August the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published Planning Policy Statement 7 (PPS7) as a replacement for Planning Policy Guidance 7 (PPG7).

PPG7 was designed to encourage substantial new houses of “exceptional architectural merit” in the countryside and most applications under it were for traditional designs.

But planning minister Keith Hill said he wanted to change the face of country house architecture from a “pastiche” of historic styles to innovative cutting-edge design.

Robert Hopwood, of Bidwells‘ planning department, said he was pleasantly surprised by the government‘s decision

“There was a view that country houses would be coming out of the document completely.”

But some architects would be upset that they would no longer be able to use historic traditions in their designs, he said.

Mark McAndrew, of agent Strutt & Parker, agreed: “I am not sure there is a market out there for cutting-edge houses of this size.”

Claire Duthie, of Knight Frank, added: “Of the phone calls we get, most are from people looking for period properties.”