Paragraph 84 Architects
What is paragraph 84 and what does it mean for building a new house in the country?
Paragraph 84 or the ‘country house exemption clause’ as it’s sometimes referred to, is part of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) that relates to building new homes in the countryside. In short, this piece of planning policy allows for a new dwelling to be built on a piece of land that previously would have been unsuitable for development.
The caveat to this clause is that the new building must be of exceptional quality and be ‘truly outstanding, reflecting the highest standards in architecture, and would help to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas’. This requirement is a challenge but one that we relish, playing to our strengths as architects of bespoke and unique homes..
We recently won planning approval for a Paragraph 84 house in Somerset (Great Elm Farm), creating a contemporary farmstead embedded within a rewilded landscape. We also won permission in 2022 for a Paragraph 79 house in Wiltshire (Upbrook House), creating an innovative house that balances the needs of our disabled client with the challenges of a sloping site, creating a new step-free building that connects seamlessly to the countryside.
