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Ha-Ha House, West Lancashire

Replacement dwelling in grounds of a listed building

The Ha-Ha House is a high quality contemporary family home to be built as a replacement dwelling on the site adjacent to the Grade II* Lathom House in West Lancashire. The name of the building is taken from the Grade II Listed ‘ha-ha’ that runs along the length of the site.

Sited in a Conservation Area, Green Belt, and alongside the remains of a moat, this site is one of the most challenging we have worked on. Key to our success at Planning Committee was our sensitive approach to the design, and close collaboration with the Council and Local Interest Groups, ensuring that every obstacle was approached in a collaborative manner to maximise the benefit both for the wider site, and to protect our client’s interests. We presented the scheme at a Places Matter! design review prior to submitting the planning application and it received supportive feedback.

At early stages, a Heritage Asset advice application outlined the parameters for the site in terms of its historic setting, which informed a pre-application submission. These key steps ensured that the Full Planning Application covered all the relevant supplementary submissions to provide a comprehensive and coordinated set of drawings and reports.

Key issues addressed included providing alternative accommodation for roosting bats, demonstrating the wider benefits of a sustainable contemporary building in a historic setting, and designing foundations to minimise impact upon listed and archaeological structures. Intrinsically part of the design were also a careful consideration of materials, landscaping, and providing clear spatial configurations to provide useable, adaptable and unique spaces.