Hethersett home hope might be dashed

Hopes of building a low-energy contemporary house in the countryside may be dashed as district planning officers advise rejection.

Hopes of building a low-energy contemporary house in the countryside may be dashed as district planning officers advise rejection.

Gable Developments, the firm behind the expansion of Norwich Research Park, at Colney, is seeking consent to build the home in Kettering-ham Lane, Hethersett, as we reported last week.

The building would incorporate features such as triple-glazed windows, high levels of insulation and a low- power heating system. But, under planning guidelines, consent for an isolated new home should not be granted unless it is of truly exceptional and ground-breaking contemporary design. And South Norfolk Council planning officers believe the proposals do not meet the required criteria.

Hethersett Parish Council holds similar views. "Our small parish planning sub-committee is well aware that volume housebuilders have failed to provide the village with an architectural legacy. We were very excited about the prospect of a modern building bringing forward not only innovative design but incorporating the latest technology on passive energy," said Jacky Sutton, its sub-committee chairman.

"However, the site chosen for this build is outside the devel-opment boundary and plan-ning consent would normally only be given for an exceptional home. Our main objection was the requirement to redesign the landscape to fit the design."

Parish councillors also felt that provision to garage four cars negated the idea of prom-oting energy-efficient homes.

The application is expected to be considered on Monday.