New Planning Permission for Whartons Lane

The New Forest National Park Authority has granted planning permission for Whartons Lane, Ashurst in the New Forest. The site includes 62 houses, flats, and maisonettes. Thrive, together with the consultant team and Foreman Homes worked closely with the Park Authority to develop a housing scheme that is faithful in its design to the New Forest vernacular. Addressing the mature trees and vegetation along its boundaries, the proposal creates a pleasant and useable green route. This connects to a new landscape-focused open space in the centre of the development.

The final design included a central loop around the open space. This design decision reduced the need for service vehicles to reverse within mews areas and parking courts. The open space is addressed and enclosed by built form with habitable rooms and dwelling entrances facing the open spaces. Footpaths provide surveillance and security. The central open space includes new landscaping, a play area for children and on-site attenuation for storm water run-off. Parking is generally located on plot or within courtyards to reduce the impact of cars within the street-scene.

The form of the development came together following a series of meetings and workshops with the Park Authority. This collaborative approach to design was the major contributor to reaching an agreed scheme that received planning permission for Whartons Lane.   

Visualisation prepared by Thrive Architects