PPS7 & PPG7 Houses - An Overview

These special houses have been in the news constantly since the provision was introduced in 1997, that is, the so-called Gummer clause (then PPG7 Paragraph 3.21). Just to recap, the clause stated that:

 

"An isolated new house in the countryside may also exceptionally be justified if it is clearly of the highest quality, is truly outstanding in terms of its architecture and landscape design, and would significantly enhance its immediate setting and wider surroundings. Proposals for such development would need to demonstrate that proper account had been taken of the defining characteristics of the local area, including local or regional building traditions and materials"

 

By the time the clause was reconfigured into PPS7 in August 2004, about 24 houses had been approved, though no more than about half have ever been completed. The split between modernist and classical/traditional was 50/50. As it eventually turned out, half of the schemes were speculative

- only a handful of patrons / owners actually live in the houses they sponsored. More details about that here.

 

The deliberate rewording of the PPS7 provision appears to have favoured the encouragement of a greater incidence of contemporary house applications.  The new, revised clause stated:

 

“the design of such a house should be truly outstanding and ground-breaking, for example, in its use of materials, methods of construction or its contribution to protecting and enhancing the environment. This will help to raise the standards of design more generally in rural areas. The value of such a building will be found in its reflection of the highest standards in contemporary architecture, the significant enhancement of its immediate setting and its sensitivity to the defining characteristics of the local area.”

 

Of the 20 PPS7 approved to date, 16 fit broadly into this category, with just four -  Paul Bancroft Architects in Leicestershire (Coston Park),  Craig Hamilton in Cumbria (Lowther Park House), Quinlan and Francis Terry with Hwith, and Robert Adam in Cheshire (Grafton Hall), all in a classical style. Classical and traditional houses such as these cannot be excluded, and many of the smaller PPS7 houses have clear generic roots to vernacular styles and materials. The following pages have more to say about this and we let the architects describe their buildings and their rationale.

 

There is a great danger that the ‘innovation’ and ‘cutting edge’ requirements of PPS7 are interpreted as the need for constant novelty for its own sake. Currently the emphasis is on the green technology under the outer skin or shell - the need to make each house achieve a zero carbon footprint - a laudable goal. It can be done in theory, but once that is proven, where does innovation take us next to satisfy PPS7? It is a pity that engineering has in many cases taken precedence over beauty, and yet it has always been possible to combine elegance with efficiency.