Cracking a complex planning challenge

The Hen House is a standout planning success for a unique and sustainable rural home in South Derbyshire, which we secured via the challenging Paragraph 84 ‘country house’ route.

Blending bold design, family heritage, energy efficiency, and biodiversity, this project exemplifies how ambition and expertise can deliver exceptional outcomes in the open countryside through a landscape-led approach.

Objective

Our clients, entrepreneurs and former egg farmers, John and Gaynor Bowler, had a long-held ambition to create an exceptional new home on a site in Derbyshire. The brief was to design a home that would present itself modestly from the roadside as a subtle, egg farmer’s residence, while revealing an impressive glazed under croft at the rear that delivers a spectacular sense of space and light.

We were invited by the project’s architects, Beckett Jackson Thompson, to work alongside John and Gaynor, supporting them in gaining planning approval for the project.

The chosen site, while rich in personal meaning and panoramic views, lay in open countryside and faced stringent planning constraints. The goal was to secure planning permission under Paragraph 84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – a rare and demanding route.

Approach

Our planning team at Rural Solutions brought a fresh, expert-led approach to the project, assembling highly skilled members of the business to work closely with the architects for a positive outcome for the client.

Central to our strategy was a landscape-led design process, integrating ecological enhancement with thoughtful architecture that blends into the setting.

We guided the project through rigorous technical due diligence, consultation with South Derbyshire District Council, and orchestrated two positive consultations with the East Midlands Design Review Panel - an independent body of design and planning experts. Our team also led a full programme of community engagement and consultation with key stakeholders.

The design of the Hen House, inspired by John Bowler’s humble beginnings in egg farming, draws on agricultural forms and materials, adopting Passivhaus energy principles throughout the home and delivering significant biodiversity net gain, including wildflower meadows, hedgerow planting, and new habitats.

Speaking of our working relationship on the project, Stewart Jackson from Beckett Jackson Thompson Architects, said:

‘Working with Lisa (Allison) at Rural Solutions was a pleasure. She was charming yet always professional and thorough and in complete control of events. The project ran reassuringly smoothly with Rural Solutions orchestrating and managing the range of challenges involved in the complex process of getting permission for a Section 84 house. Hats off to Lisa and Rural Solutions. We couldn't have done it without them.’

Planning permission for The Hen House was successfully granted under Paragraph 84 – a rare achievement that recognises both the architectural excellence and landscape sensitivity of the proposal.

John and Gaynor Bowler’s dream of creating a sustainable, beautifully designed home that honours their heritage sets a benchmark for modern rural living.

Images (c) Stewart Jackson of Beckett Jackson Thompson Architects