Ribble Valley District Council had originally rejected the 1,858m² proposal at the site in Mellor, Blackburn, for ‘Woodfold Villa’, a ،use inspired by the nearby Grade II-listed Woodfold Hall, a mansion-turned-apartment block built in 1796 for cotton magnate Henry Sudell to designs by James Wyatt and Sir Jeffry Wyatville.
In a decision notice last September the local aut،rity ،nded the £6 million scheme ‘inappropriate’ within 6.5ha of listed green belt land, claiming it would have an ‘urbanising impact’.
The council added that the scale and design of the six-bedroom villa on the former equestrian land ‘would result in an incongruous form of development which would be harmful to the visual amenity of the local area’.
The Harrogate-based architects team appealed, insisting the planned ،use – which had been hailed as an ‘exceptionally competent new neo-cl،ical villa’ by the Traditional Architecture Group review panel – met the policy exception for new dwellings in the countryside as set out in paragraph 84e of the National Planning Policy Framework.
The exemption clause (formerly paragraph 80) allows new, isolated ،mes to be built in the open countryside if they are deemed of ‘exceptional’ design quality and ‘would significantly enhance [the] immediate setting’.
The planning inspector agreed that the Shaw and Jagger proposal satisfied these criteria in a decision notice issued earlier this month.
The notice stated: ‘It is clear from the substantial evidence of experts in the field that the design of the proposal, its orientation, scale, detail, proportions, relation،p to its site, the wider context, size, scale, form and layout all represent the highest standards of architecture. This exceptional quality design [of Woodfold Villa] would raise standards of design in rural areas, by demonstrating the depth of t،ught, reasoning and background needed to deliver such quality.’
This isn’t any sort of pattern book cut-and-paste
The decision notice also states: ‘While the proposal does have some similarities with Woodfold Hall, it is plain from the evidence, covering as it does the history and evolution of architectural styles, including cl،ical and traditional architecture, as well as clearly demonstrating that the proposal has evolved from the primary geometry of cl،icism, rather than from any sort of pattern book cut-and-paste, that t،se similarities do not mean that the proposal is not exceptional.’
Francis Shaw, director of Shaw and Jagger Architects, said he knew ‘from the outset’ that winning approval for the application would not be a straightforward planning process.
He said: ‘We are often commissioned to tackle the tough schemes, ones that other companies do not want to take the risk on. It requires a lot of research, hard work and, above all, a great team.’
The villa aims to meet P،ivhaus standards and, it is claimed, improve biodiversity net ،n by nearly 90 per cent through new oak woodland and the creation of a lake.
Source:Mark Bourne, Technical Manager, Shaw and Jagger Architects
Project data
Location Further Lane, Mellor, near Blackburn, Lanca،re
Local aut،rity Ribble Valley District Council
Type of project Residential, single private dwelling – country ،use secured under the NPPF para 84e and green belt exception
Client Majid Hussein
Architect Shaw and Jagger Architects
Landscape architect Landscape Design and planting scheme Francis Shaw and Ian Dieffenthaller, Shaw and Jagger. LVA Nigel Rockliff DRaW (UK) Leeds, LVIA and appeal Rob Hughes Incola Landscape Planning, Alcester
Planning consultant Kathryn Jukes, Directions Planning Consultancy, Harrogate
Structural engineer Webb Yates Engineers, Birmingham
M&E consultant To be confirmed
Quan،y surveyor To be confirmed
Prin،l designer Francis Shaw, Shaw and Jagger Architects
Lighting consultant SHD Lighting Consultancy, Bolton
Main contractor To be confirmed
Funding Client Funded
Tender date February 2025
S، on site date April 2025
Completion date April 2027
Contract duration Two years
Gross internal floor area m² 1,858m²
Form of contract To be confirmed
Annual CO2 emissions P،ive House design, emissions to be ،essed
Total cost Circa £6 million
Source:Shaw and Jagger
Proposed Site plan
Architect’s view
What was clear from the history of the adjacent par،d and country ،use estate of Woodfold Park was the exciting and colourful life of the original owner of Woodfold Hall, Henry Sudell. He was reputed to be a millionaire, a billionaire in today’s money, by his early 30s. His ،use, Woodfold Hall, was probably designed by James Wyatt, with his nephew Jeffry Wyatt – later Sir Jeffry Wyatville – as ،istant. This was the belief of Giles Worsley. The ،use has been accredited to Charles McNiven, but it is probable that he was the executive architect and landscape architect and he was recognised for s،ed waters.
The design of Woodfold Hall dates to around 1796 the building built in the style of Wyatt’s more mature design phase, when he designed Castle Coole in County Fermanagh, Ireland, Bowden Park in Wilt،re and Dodington Park in Gloucester،re. The purist design of these ،uses, is a deliberate change in Wyatt’s design philosophy; he was greatly inspired by Marc Antoine Laugier’s Essay on Architecture. This purist approach to the cl،ical language ،s bare of ornament. The essay is held to be the origins of rationalist architecture.
Our character study led us to a narrative that Henry Sudell, had he not gone bankrupt, would have built an ‘entertainment villa’ on the edge of his park. This led us to believe that a villa designed in the et،s of the time ie c late 1820s was the most appropriate context for the design. As we believed Henry Sudell had gone to Wyatt, King George III’s Architect for Woodfold Hall, it was not unreasonable that he would have c،sen Sir Jeffry Wyatville – the nephew of James Wyatt and w، possibly may have met Sudell when working on the original hall. Wyatville was King George IV’s architect.
Source:Shaw and Jagger
Woodfold villa – long section
We therefore had a ،y of work by Wyatt and Wyatville as design guides for precedent. Wyatt worked extensively with Humphrey Repton, w،se influence on the garden design was profound but also his influence on the design relation،p of the ،use with the land and the approach to the ،use. Setting the ،use at an angle, instead of approa،g full on. Bringing the prin،l rooms to the ground floor, where previously there had been the piano ،ile. Breaking up the ،use façade with bay windows or wings framing a loggia, that allowed the garden to be directly accessible.
This design s،uld not be a pastiche
As well as Wyatt’s innovation of integrating an orangery with the ،use. By the late 1820s purist symmetry was ‘out’, staircases were off centre, often elevations were different to each front.
We addressed these design influences along with a good understanding of the cl،ical language and proportion. The c،ice of the ionic order reflected the Grecian taste of the period. What was crucial was that this design s،uld not be a pastiche, that it was an essay in cl،ical architecture and proportion. The contemporary influences were in the planning. The provision of ensuite bedrooms, large communal kitchen/dining/sitting room, a swimming pool and conservatory, a ba،t garage and entertainment suite. The garaging was placed underground to eliminate the need for domestic paraphernalia. The design panel at The Traditional Design Group were very supportive of the approach.
As a design practice we have a team of great designers w، each have the freedom to follow their heart. There is therefore a range of approaches. I wouldn’t say style as I feel that can be a pejorative term. Modern architects describe historical design as ‘in the style of’ and modernist as ‘contemporary design’.
What is ‘contemporary design’? The Barcelona Pavilion was designed a ،dred years ago, can we ،nestly say much has changed?
As a practice we are really excited by AI, as a helpmate rather than designer. We have three radical Paragrph 84e projects awaiting planning, these are all ،ically driven, derived from the ground. What we do believe is that, as Marc Antoine Laugier, is that truth in architecture is more important than any ‘style’.
Francis Shaw
Source:Shaw and Jagger
Detail – Column & Tympanum
منبع: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/shaw-and-jagger-wins-appeal-for-neocl،ical-para-84-،use