Dorset Cottage

Dorset Council granted planning permission for this new home in Shaftesbury in May 2021 after a complicated planning process. It replaces a run down existing double garage on a disused patch of scrub land and hard surfacing.

The site lies in a conservation area in the centre of Shaftesbury and has a history of refused or withdrawn planning applications. Earlier designs were deemed too large with too great an impact on the character of the Conservation Area. A previous appeal indicated that a new dwelling on the site would be approved if the design was of a high standard. RBA worked with Atlas Planning in a thorough pre-application process to develop the design. This involved input from the Planning Officer and Conservation team at Dorset Council. The design finally put forward by RBA in December 2020 was the third planning application for the site and the first successful one.

The traditional design of the single-storey cottage is in keeping with the character of the street. The walls are made of a local stone, with a timber porch and slate roof. Hedging surrounds the house to shield it from the street from the east. The cottage is also set into the land so it will be less visible from the listed buildings on the other side of the street.

Due to the high quality, carefully considered design, the Council considered the cottage an improvement on the existing garage. The site has now been sold on with planning permission for the development.