Outstanding design is essential to build a one-off house in the country where permission would normally be refused

The British countryside is usually out of bounds to builders. But the country house exemption clause – Paragraph 80 (formerly Paragraph 79 and 55) – allows homes of exceptional design quality to be built in areas of open countryside where refusal would normally be expected. If you own a green plot and want to build your own dream house, this planning strategy might be key. But applying for permission using Paragraph 80, or Para 80, is notoriously challenging.

Thanks to architect Kevin Brown, director of Collaborative Architecture for his help with this article 

What is Paragraph 80?

Knowing the rules around Para 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is essential for those who want to build a rural home, especially in an area of outstanding natural beauty. To qualify for approval your project’s design must be of exceptional quality. It should be “truly outstanding, reflecting the highest standards in architecture and would help to raise standards of design  more generally in rural areas.” It must also “significantly enhance its immediate setting and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.”

To get the green light, a project must be able to stand up to rigorous testing against each phrase of the policy. Previously, under the forerunners of Para 80, the wording of the policy was “outstanding or innovative” and prior to that “outstanding and innovative.” This was to encourage forward-thinking design and to remove the perceived elitism associated with historic country houses. But the word “innovative” was removed by Para 80, so now the requirement is simply “truly outstanding.”

Council planners may lack the expertise to decide on quality of design, so it’s considered good practice to ask an independent design review panel (consisting of accomplished architects, planning consultants and landscape architects) to scrutinise projects. This peer review helps to develop proposals to ensure they meet the stringent Para 80 requirements before a planning application is submitted. The panel will write a design review report that clearly states how the highest standards of architecture have been met. 

Exceptional architectural merit

Image supplied by Reid, Jubb, Brown Partnership

For architect Kevin Brown, co-founder of Collaborative Architects, imaginative use of Para 80, has become a significant part of his practice. The award-winning architect has to date (November 2023), gained permission, or approval from design review panels, for 14 such houses. Two more are going through the planning system while six are at design review stage prior to submitting planning applications. Seven of his Para 80 houses are currently on site or construction is soon to start. A further four new projects are in the pipeline.

Most of the permissions were granted by planning committees made up of elected councillors but “one or two” were approved by council officers using their delegated powers. Brown said getting the thumbs up from design review panels is “often more difficult” than obtaining planning consent. The leading architect said council planners don’t usually get involved at the early stages of Para 80 projects. “We rely entirely on the planners’ acceptance of the design review process and most of the time that works,” he said.

Brown’s first country house approval was in 2008 under a precursor of Para 80. Lake House in rural Northumbria, see above, showcased in magazines around the world. The huge publicity led to enquiries from people who had their own green plots, leading his practice down the path of creating many more one-off country homes of exceptional architectural merit.  “This did lead to a lot of other enquiries, and in doing one you seem to become an expert!” comments Brown, who deigned Lake House while director of Reid, Jubb, Brown.

Organic modern architecture

Image supplied by Reid, Jubb, Brown Partnership

Two of Brown’s projects have featured on Channel Four’s Grand Designs. The first, a converted mill house in Northumberland involved a substantial modern extension. The project included restoring the derelict Georgian cottage, building a new wing from reclaimed stone, plus a modern glass and steel building to link them.

Brown also designed the Fibonacci or “snake house” in Leicestershire, see above,  which featured on Grand Designs in 2017. The house was compared to a snake by host Kevin McCloud, thanks to its curving exterior and scale-like timber panels. Based on the Fibonacci sequence, the modern, organic architecture is woven into the countryside, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

When the pre-Para 80 planning rule for building one-off country houses included the word “innovative” architects pushed the sustainable housing envelope to get planners on side. Houses with good eco-credentials might have triple glazing, rainwater harvesting, passive and active solar heating and reed bed drainage, for example.  Historically, Passivhaus design, which only use one tenth of the energy of an average home, was considered innovative, but it is also now becoming more commonplace.

Brown said: “We have with many schemes pushed sustainability as a key driver. However, as it (sustainability) has risen up the agenda politically, that innovation has been seen as the norm. Therefore, we have to go a little bit further and now look at embodied carbon and systems which sequester carbon.”

And traditional architecture

Image supplied by Collaborative Architecture

Exceptional homes in the countryside now come in many different forms. Among Brown’s Para 80 designs is a classical mansion, set within 100 acres of farmland in Northamptonshire. Another scheme takes the form of a classical folly set into the landscape along the River Severn in Shropshire, see above.

Brown turned to the Traditional Architecture Group (TAG) to rigorously review the design of The Folly. TAG, an offshoot of the Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA), was partly set up in response to council planners favouring contemporary over classically inspired designs. “Outstanding (design) is subjective and open to interpretation and often planners need to be ‘educated’ on the interpretation of this,” said Brown.

The talented architect added: “It is difficult to achieve Para 80 as it should be, but it is rewarding. The bar is high and until about 2017 when TAG came into being the requirement was inevitably interpreted as modern or elaborate shaped schemes which were driven by the word “innovation” in P55 and 79. Removed by Para 80, it is now simply outstanding.” He added: “Becoming innovative did drive schemes to push all sorts of boundaries but often for no other reason than to be different. Some of those schemes that were approved are proving difficult to build economically.”

Collaborative Architecture sets great store on developing a strong narrative for each proposal and working with specialist individuals who can bring their appropriate skills to any given project. Brown said: “We often go back to the original intention … which was to allow schemes to be built which would create the ‘country houses of the future’. That’s been interpreted in many ways both modern and traditional.

High quality landscape design also helps to get planners on side. Developing a project that considers and enhances its immediate setting is required under Para 80. Brown said: “Landscape design is absolutely key and schemes should naturally grow out of the landscape as well as influence it.” One-off country houses are required to be sensitive “to defining characteristics” of the site. Sometimes the character is the landscape patterns or the history which has shaped them or even the landowner themselves, said Brown whose truly bespoke country homes include one inspired by a rock musician client.

Building your own home in the countryside is the ultimate dream for many. Who wouldn’t want their own “Grand Design” home set in rolling green fields, often with breathtaking views. But you will need deep pockets. Expect to fork out £70,000-plus for consultant fees, including architects, surveyors, ecologists and landscape designers – and there’s no guarantee of success.  The financial risks are high. So, hire professionals with a good track record of creating exceptional one-off homes in the countryside.