Land at Cliffe Rochester, UK
C&W obtained outline planning permission for up to 250 new homes, a community hub and new sports facilities in the centre of Cliffe, a village which lies on the edge of the Hoo Peninsula in Medway.
The proposals stem from a comprehensive and considered study of the village’s existing urban, landscape and historic context, and they are conceived as a sensitive infill development of new homes and community facilities that will unite two disparate parts of the village together in a seamless way:
- Providing attractive and affordable new homes prioritised for local people that respect and consolidate the existing urban form and structure of the village;
- Adopting a landscape-led approach that focusses development in the most sustainable locations within walking distance of existing and proposed new community facilities;
- Protecting and enhancing sensitive natural habitats;
- Creating a more appropriate relationship between the village and the surrounding countryside;
- Providing on-street parking for existing residents that will relieve congestion and improve the visual amenity of the surrounding area;
- Boosting the future viability of local shops/facilities.
The masterplan proposals were endorsed by Design South East’s independent Design Review Panel, and supported by Medway Council’s planning, landscape and urban design officers. A Design Code following the principles of the National Model Design Code was also produced, ensuring the qualities embedded in the masterplan will be carried through to applications for approval of reserved matters.
The purpose of the Design Code is to set clear guidelines and establish mandatory and advisory requirements for new development and the public realm within a well-structured Urban Design Framework.
Its function will be to mediate between the site-wide design strategies set out in the Urban Design Framework, and applications for planning consent. Whereas the Urban Design Framework and its underlying vision sets out aspirations for what the place will be like, the Design Code provides a detailed Regulatory Framework showing how those aspirations are to be achieved through clear and enforceable design parameters relating to movement, nature, built form, identity, public space and sustainability, as the area transitions to higher densities.
