The city has a vast collection of vacant sites/lots, garages and old sheds that are past their best. These are what we call gap sites or backland sites, they are everywhere.
You find them at the back of other buildings, between buildings and beside other buildings.
These sites are small, left over sites, often overlooked by owners, that can be very valuable.
It is estimated that 1000 new homes were constructed on these sites in London last year.
To develop these sites you will need a creative team who can listen and negotiate with the planners and neighbours.
The journey can be a bit longer than more straightforward projects but it should be a creative process that yields a financial return that is worth the risk and the investment.
What problems you may have?
You will most likely have clarity about your project’s outcomes, but you will depend upon your adviser for advice on design, construction and budgets. You have to trust us that we will give you the right information and lead your project in the right direction.
You will need accurate information when it comes to making decisions regarding the viability of your project. It is critical to make sure that your vision is possible and meets your budget.
How can a strategic brief help you?
Working with us as your architect will help you discover what is possible to fit on your site without spending a fortune.
Other reasons to do a feasibility study include:
- To help you clarify why you want to do the project.
- To clarify what the return on investment might be.
- To stress test the assumptions you have made about your site.
- To clarify the risks associated with planning.
- To clarify the construction budget.
Six things you need to know about a feasibility study
1. The steps in the feasibility study process are: Research, Test, Review, Rework.
The research stage involves reviewing the historical development of the area including previous planning applications. We review local planning policy.
The test stage is where your brief is translated into diagrams and models. These diagrams or ‘test fits’ help us understand what activities you can accommodate on your site.
The review and rework stage: We review the diagrams with our planning consultant where the initial ideas are explored, reviewed. We look at access, impact on neighbours and cost. The diagram is then reworked following feedback.
Next Step after feasibility:
Once you have an idea on costs and risks and degree of difficulty you can then decide if you want to proceed to a pre-application meeting with the council.
2. Does the feasibility study include writing my brief?
Your brief should be written before you commence the feasibility study.
3. How long will a feasibility study take?
Normally on a project involving a backland site would take one month.
4. How much does it cost?
This varies from £2000 plus vat for something relatively simple to £3,000 plus vat if this involves landscape, parking and access.
5. The prevention VS cure proposition
The most value comes early in the briefing process. You should concentrate design thinking at the beginning of your project, distilling and communicating everyone’s ideas and vision. This vision must then be the basis for your project’s business case.
6. What do I exactly get when I commission a feasibility study?
- Planning and site research.
- A design workshop where we find out your objectives and what works and does not work currently at your club or school.
- Design drawings accurate enough to demonstrate spatially how we can organise what you need on the site.
- A written report summarising our findings.
What can happen if you do not work with us to complete a feasibility study?
- You may struggle to define your brief.
- You may struggle to find out if your brief is possible with the site constraints until it is too late.
- You may end up with a rejected planning application.
- Critical parts of the brief are missing.
- Your budget may be unrealistic.
Case Study 1 – Development in Putney
We have completed studies on several of these sites. Several years ago a developer approached us to look at the feasibility of building on a site at the rear of a parade of shops on Upper Richmond Road. We knocked down some sheds that were falling down, gained planning permission and constructed a new 3 bedroom house at the rear. At the front of the site we converted an existing restaurant into an office and apartment with a new loft.
Case Study 2 – Hounslow Site
We were asked to look at a backland site in Hounslow. Our client wanted to develop his site at the rear. The key issues were:
- Restrictive covenants
- Pedestrian and vehicular access, parking
- Impact on neighbours including loss of privacy
- Quality of landscape and architectural design
- Planning policy.
We reviewed the planning policies that relate to the site and we looked at previous planning decisions on our client’s site and adjacent sites.
We also reviewed the policies in the Local Plan, the London Plan and the NPPF (National Planning Policy) in relation to backland development.
A car parking space with a crossover onto the adjacent street was critical as the PTAL ratio was very low.
A PTAL (Public Transport Accessibility Level) rating of 1 indicated that our site had poor access to public transportation. PTAL ratings range from 1 to 6, with 1 being the least accessible and 6 being the most accessible in terms of proximity and frequency of public transport options.
The implications for developing the new house on a site with a PTAL rating of 1 can vary. In our case this meant that off street parking for a least one car was required for a 2 to 3 bedroom dwelling.
With a low PTAL we would create space for bike racks and electric vehicle charging points.
We undertook some test fits of a 2 and 3 bedroom house on the site. One option was for a mews type house with a basement and lightwell to reduce impact on neighbours. Only one story was possible in our view.
We concluded that as long as our client could agree access onto the road at the top of his site, it may be possible to get a consent for a two bedroom dwelling.
