The Brief

Evans Jones initial remit was to consult with the local authority and to prepare and manage the planning application submission. The requirement for the development to meet the needs of a range of users (the rugby club and general public), together with the size of the application, the site′s suburban location on a pocket of green open space (owned by the local authority), and restricted vehicular access, triggered the need for additional supplementary information to support the planning application.

Due to these additional requirements Evans Jones remit expanded, involving the consultation and appointment of specialist consultants (e.g. Highways, Archaeological and Flood Risk) to carry out assessments and devise appropriate measures to create an appropriate design solution.

The Challenge

The principle of a new stadium and associated facilities at the Pennine Way site was allocated in the Local Authority′s Local Development Plan. A previous application for a similar scheme had also been approved in 1998, however due to excessive financial contributions required through the S106 Agreement the scheme was deemed unviable.

The subsequent challenge faced by Evans Jones was to prepare a scheme to meet the requirements of the local authority, Sport England and the rugby club while negotiating appropriate S106 Contributions. This involved in-depth discussions with the local authority′s planning, highways, legal, leisure and recreation departments at pre-application stage to ensure the scheme was viable in all respects.

The planning application also had to be supported by a business plan setting out how the club anticipated to evolve over a 5–10 year period, including details of fixtures and spectator numbers to provide comfort to the local authority on future potential impact from the development on the surrounding area.

The agreed S106 Contributions included a commitment by the club to resurface the public car park that served the facility, financial contributions towards a new signage strategy along local cycle and pedestrian routes, and a management plan to deal with match day traffic.

Benefits Achieved

The final design worked within the constraints of the site while making effective use of space. In particular the benefits included:

• Design that related well to surrounding built forms
• Layout that provided sufficient car and coach parking, and turning areas
• Respected surrounding natural habitats (e.g. through use of floodlight cowling measures)
• Layout that retained pedestrian connections in and around the site
• Appropriate levels of security and natural surveillance
• Supported the rugby club′s ethos of encouraging everyone to participate in sport through provision of a facility to benefit the community as a whole.

“Working in partnership with the local authority planning, highways, leisure and legal departments to address matters at pre-application stage and the overall management by Evans Jones has been fundamental to the success of this project.”

Bob Brown, Club Chairman

Summary

The nature of the rugby club′s evolving profile, and hence uncertainty in terms of the projected number of spectators, together with the application site being owned by the local authority and the requirements of a diverse range of users prompted working in partnership with the rugby club, local authority, Sport England and specialist consultants to prepare a scheme that met the requirements of all users. The commitments made at pre-application stage were instrumental to the successful outcome of this planning application.

For further information, please contact David Jones on 01242 531412 or david.jones@evansjones.co.uk.

Further information

The Cheltenham Civic Awards are organised by the Cheltenham Civic Society on behalf of Cheltenham Borough Council. Nominations are submitted by various parties including owners, architects, builders and members of the public, and are assessed by an independent panel of ten, appointed by the Civic Society, to represent a cross section of the community.

Cosmo Fry’s brief to Evans Jones specified the need for a design which would create the following:

• clean and simple rooms that provided the essentials needed for either the short term business user or the weekend visitor
• a stylish interior befitting a hotel with a higher star rating but at budget prices
• innovative design solutions and a vivid pallet of colours and materials
• a finished product that stands out from the crowd amongst its contemporaries in the two star hotel sector
• revitalizing a redundant building which was a wasted resource in the centre of the town bringing new customers to the surrounding bars and restaurants in Cheltenham.

Further information can be obtained from John Everitt at Evans Jones on 01242 531415 or john.everitt@evansjones.co.uk.

The Brief

Located in a suburban setting, the Caterham site was originally occupied by a number of 1930s two-storey, semi-detached houses all addressing the main road, and dropping away steeply behind the houses, down to a railway line.

It was a concern of the planners that the replacement building should not be any taller than the houses which originally occupied the site and the scheme was designed to resemble a number of units addressing the road rather than appearing as one large building.

The Challenge

To achieve the number of units on the site that the client required, the new building had to stretch back further into the site than the original houses, and consequently the building needed to accommodate the extreme change in levels across the site.

The central circulation core of the building is four storeys in height although the elevation to the road frontage is only two storeys in height. The building is effectively set into the hillside by two storeys and steps down as it stretches into the rear of the site. The building, where it addresses the gardens to the rear of the site, reduces in scale.

It was a condition of the planning consent that the scheme generated 10 percent of its energy via a renewable energy source on site. The chosen method of renewable energy was a mixture of photovoltaic cells and solar panels; these were used to heat water which was used to heat the communal areas.

Due to the changing levels across the site a number of complex roofs were required at different levels which intersected with one another and could not solely be supported on the masonry walls below. As such a steel frame had to be designed to sit under the roof itself sitting on wall plates at different levels and even on different storeys. Because the CAD package used by Evans Jones generates the drawings from a 3D model of the building, it was possible to provide the structural engineer, and eventually the contractor, with a series of skeletal diagrams helping to explain the steel frame and its bearing points.

As well as working with the design team to deliver the information necessary to build the project out to the contractor Evans Jones also dealt with and negotiated with local Building Control to ensure that the building was compliant in terms of the means of escape. This needed careful consideration on such a steeply sloping site, with limited access to the rear, and with a predominantly elderly population.

Benefits Achieved

“Evans Jones took the planning approved scheme to a full working drawing package for both construction and approval purposes. The package of drawings was both excellently presented, accurate in content and cross referencing. Evans Jones asked all the right questions and suggested solutions during the working drawing process.”

Gary Bangs
Group Design Manager, Rialto Homes Ltd

Summary

Over the past few years Evans Jones has completed a range of projects providing private, age-restricted, sheltered accommodation for a number of developers.

Typically these sites have been in suburban locations with good access to local amenities and facilities for their future residents. Some of the sites, however, have presented a number of design challenges for the developers, designers and construction teams alike.

Working as part of a team in conjunction with the developer, the end operator and a number of other design consultants including mechanical and electrical engineers, structural engineers, acoustic consultants etc, Evans Jones has helped to construct close to 200 units.

The buildings typically comprise of a range of one and two bed flats as well as a number of on-site communal facilities which vary from site to site but typically include residents’ lounges, laundrettes, guest accommodation, hair dressing salons, commercial units to be let to local businesses, warden accommodation, external amenity spaces and landscaped surroundings.

An increasing consideration is that of onsite renewable energy provision. Not only is this being driven by the recent changes in Building Regulations but also a number of the clients are becoming more attune to the potential to reduce the running costs of the development by introducing onsite provision of energy.

With Evans Jones history of providing technical packages for many of the larger developers in the country including Bovis, Crest and Westbury, the consultancy is well placed to understand the requirements of developers working to a budget and tight timescales. Furthermore, Evans Jones has a sound technical knowledge base resulting in the provision of efficient and buildable solutions for developers and contractors alike.

• modern minimalist décor
• a fresh and ‘clean’ interior
• contemporary fittings throughout

John Everitt continued: “In many ways, although the building is already being used as a hotel this project is more complicated than the building in Cheltenham where we had a blank canvas to start with. In Cheltenham the rooms were largely identical, stacking up from floor to floor. In Eastbourne the rooms are all unique, with varying sizes and ceiling heights. The services are already running though the building and this will inform on the location of bathrooms etc so there are far more restrictions on what we can and can’t do with the building.”

The Big Sleep Hotel in Eastbourne will be designed to cater for the anticipated market in the area, and it is hoped that it will establish the ‘Big Sleep by the Sea’ sub brand of the Big Sleep Hotel. Further sites are already being considered in Brighton, Bournemouth, Southampton and Exeter.

Press enquiries:

John Everitt, Evans Jones
Tel. 01242 531415
Web site www.evansjones.co.uk
Email enquiries@evansjones.co.uk

• A mark of quality
• Regulatory certainty
• Lower running costs
• Informed choice
• Reduced environmental ‘footprint’
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

John Everitt, Head of Architecture at Evans Jones comments: "As a construction consultancy working in several sectors of the industry including planning, architecture, surveying and project management, Evans Jones has seen a growing interest in, and a move toward more sustainable forms of construction as a response to increasing concerns about the environmental impact we are all having on the planet. In fact, over the last 18 months Evans Jones has been approached by a number of individuals wishing to commission eco friendly homes.

Some of this interest has been generated via revisions to legislation to improve the efficiency of buildings. Through the planning system, schemes are being approved with conditions attached, which require 10% of a building’s energy to be generated via on-site renewable energy sources."

More sustainable methods of construction

75% of the residential schemes Evans Jones is involved in now use timber framed construction, with the timber being specified from renewable sources. And, as a practice Evans Jones has been involved in schemes using solar panels to heat water and bio mass boilers to provide heating. More recently Evans Jones has looked at a project using ground source heat pumps.

Continuing, John says: "In our opinion an important part of the process is selecting the most appropriate form of renewable energy for a scheme rather than the one with the most kerb appeal. We strongly believe that significant improvements in reducing the environmental impact of our future buildings can be made during the design / specification and construction stages of the building by specifying environmentally friendly products that reduce the amount of energy the building requires."

"At Evans Jones we believe it is better to construct a building which requires 20% less power to run than to add a wind turbine which may generate 5% of the power required, if the weather is right for it. Better still, both approaches should be used."

The Challenge

Redcliffe Homes appointed Evans Jones LLP in August 2006 to obtain full planning permission and design of 24 units (nine of which were affordable housing) at Chartist Way, Gloucestershire. The site is located in Staunton and is an extension of an existing mid 1980’s housing estate.

Evans Jones is a Cheltenham-based architecture, planning and building consultancy, which has been in practice for over 30 years, providing professional consultancy services to the commercial sector. The firm specialises in development, project management, architectural design, town planning, disabled access and building surveying providing a complete end to end service for all construction requirements.

Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of the Evans Jones service, the Architecture and Planning teams were able to review the outline consent and advise Redcliffe Homes as to how the consented scheme could be enhanced to increase the number of units as well as uplifting the internal floor areas provided by the units.

The Evans Jones Solution

At the outset of the project, the site in Staunton had outline consent for 20 units. However, in developing the brief, Redcliffe Homes required an increase in the number of units from 20 to 24. Certain preferences and detailing styles were taken from the surrounding Chartist and other dwellings surrounding the site and as set out in the local vernacular in the Design Guide.

Initially six different house types were to be used from their standard range. However, having visited the site Evans Jones felt that a larger range would allow for a more varied and village type feel, the desire for which was expressed in the Local Authority’s Design Guide. Evans Jones also felt that certain changes and revisions to the standard house types were necessary to help the scheme sit more comfortably within its surroundings. As such, a total of ten house types were developed for the scheme, six from scratch and four with reference to the original six proposed.

It was a desire of all parties involved that the nine affordable housing units be integrated into the site and as such these were accommodated as a terrace of four units, a terrace of three units and a pair of semi-detached dwellings, which were integrated into the overall layout of the scheme.

Due to the changes that were proposed to the layout of the scheme and some of the units, Evans Jones re-consulted with the Local Authority. Primarily this was to address the increase in numbers. However, the issue of Design was also to be addressed as part of the Reserved Matter Application and given the proximity of some of the units to the listed Chartist Bungalows to the South of the site, it was important that the architectural detailing of the buildings took reference from the local vernacular architecture.

Representatives of both Evans Jones Architecture and Planning Divisions met with the Planning Officer and Conservation Officer to discuss the design of the units and the proposed variations to the site prior to submitting the application. Whilst it was acknowledged by all that due to the existing listed properties being bungalows, and the proposed being two storey, they were of a different scale. It was felt that due to inclusion of the vernacular detailing and careful choice of materials, the development was in keeping with the character of the surrounding dwellings and was responsive to the guidelines set out in the Forest of Dean Residential Design Guide.

In the end the scheme was recommended for approval and was dealt with under delegated powers.

Benefits Achieved

On completion of the Evans Jones contract, Redcliffe Homes had achieved:

• An increase in the number of units from 20 to 24 in total
• An increase in the amount of saleable floor area due to the uplift in many of the units, plus an additional four units
• A scheme which was approved under a Delegated Decision rather than having to go to committee where there was the potential for a refusal, even if Officers supported the scheme

Stuart Keene, Project Manager of Redcliffe Homes commented; “This project involved Evans Jones obtaining full planning permission and design for 24 units. The fact that their planning and architecture teams worked hand in hand to achieve this was a major benefit to the project.”

Press enquiries:

Diana Jones, Evans Jones - Tel: 01242 531412
Email: dianaj@evansjones.co.uk
David Jones, Evans Jones - Tel. 01242 531411
Email: davidj@evansjones.co.uk

Introduction

Glenlee House is an Edwardian Boarding House, constructed by the College in 1901 by the architect Waller, in the Neo-Gothic style. The College utilises Glenlee House as a junior Boarding House for around 75 pupils.

The front elevation in particular incorporates a number of items of ornate stonework such as stone copings, corbels and balusters.

Since its construction the facade had gradually become discoloured and this particularly affected the stonework, which in itself had eroded in many areas causing significant deterioration of the stone detailing. Equally the roof covering was unsightly and many of the slates had delaminated and deteriorated.

The property is locally listed under Cheltenham Borough Council′s Local Listing Scheme.

The Brief

Evans Jones was appointed to design and implement a repair and restoration project to restore the front and also the side and rear elevations to their former glory. As part of these works Evans Jones was also charged with re-covering the pitched roofs.

The Challenge

Given the positioning of much of the stonework it was difficult to establish the extent of necessary repairs and thus the production of an accurate specification leading to an accurate price was a challenge.

To overcome this Evans Jones commissioned a survey using both scaffold and cherry picker access to produce a detailed schedule of stonework repairs. This was prepared by the Evans Jones team of specialist Building Surveyors who are well versed in stone repairs, having worked for many years in the Regency Spa town of Cheltenham. Indeed, one of Evans Jones Surveyors is a former Stonemason and was able to offer both detailed diagnosis and practical repair methods when dealing with stonework.

The next major challenge was the programming of the works as the College was both unwilling to loose valuable boarding space and unable to allow works to continue whilst the Boarding House was in use for reasons of both privacy and security. To overcome this the work was split into phases with the very ornate front facade and frontal section of the roof being completed over one summer holiday, the remainder of the rear elevation and roof being completed the following year, with other more isolated elements being completed over the Easter and Christmas holidays.

As the timescale itself was challenging the decision was made to negotiate with a contractor who assisted Evans Jones in working towards a practical and realistic programme. Evans Jones provided full design, building surveying and contract administration services throughout the project seeing it successfully through from inception to completion within the specified timeframe.

Benefits Achieved

Works were completed on time with no disruption whatsoever to operation of the Boarding House, either in terms of programme or damage to internal structure and finishes. The works resulted in a much improved external appearance to the front facade in particular, of what is still an impressive building.

Introduction

Fauconberg House is a Grade II listed building designed by notable architect Samuel Onley and constructed in 1847. It is one of the earliest buildings occupied by the College and has performed a number of functions over its history.

The College′s long term plans for this area involved the construction of a new Art Block connected to the rear of Fauconberg House to provide state of the art facilities to the College′s pupils.

Once it was decided to proceed with this new art facility the decision was then made to refurbish and re-use the impressive Fauconberg House to both provide a valuable facility in its own right and to compliment the new Art Block.

The Brief

Evans Jones was initially instructed to prepare a Feasibility Study for the external repair and restoration of Fauconberg House and its grounds, the relocation of the College′s Medical Centre and the formation of a conferencing and meeting facility within Fauconberg House.

Following successful completion of the feasibility study Evans Jones was appointed as Lead Consultant acting as designers, surveyors and contract administrator for the repair, refurbishment and complete internal reorganization of Fauconberg House to achieve a modern facility in keeping with the brand new Art Block being constructed adjacent to it.

The Challenge

Due to its position on the periphery of the College′s Campus and the fact that it had been awaiting the construction of the new Art Block, the house and particularly the stucco render façade, were in need of repair and restoration before works commenced on the interior.

Evans Jones, in negotiation with the Local Authority Conservation Officer, specified and procured the re-rendering and restoration of the stucco façade including restoration of ornate stucco pilasters which was designed and procured by Evans Jones experienced team of Building Surveyors.

Luckily the bulk of the original features had been retained internally but this in itself presented challenges in terms of achieving a layout both suitable for the College′s intended use whilst still adopting a sensitive approach to the Listed Building.

Again this was achieved in close consultation with the Local Authority Conservation Officer resulting in a layout which met, and in some cases exceeded, the College′s expectations. This again was achieved by the Evans Jones Building Surveying team with support provided by the Evans Jones Planning team, at key stages.

In terms of procurement of the works, a traditional detailed design and procurement route was chosen reflecting the unknown quantity of much of the works and the client′s desire for certainty over design elements and costs. The main challenge in terms of contract administration was delivering the project on time in order to meet the opening date.

In the role of Lead Consultant, Evans Jones managed a number of third party specialists including interior designers, fire engineers, damp proofing specialists and kitchen equipment installers, who all worked together to produce a very pleasing end result, in particular to the ground floor where the conferencing and meeting facilities have proved a great success.

Benefits Achieved

Fauconberg House was restored to its former glory and now provides a gateway into the College for many visitors using the conferencing and meeting facilities for the first time.

A new Medical Centre with all modern facilities was created within Fauconberg House, freeing up other space in the College which has now been used to create valuable boarding accommodation for pupils.

The building was delivered on time to a high standard with the full cooperation and support of the Local Authority Conservation Officer.

Following completion the building was put forward for a Civic Award which was achieved in 1999.

Summary

This property represented a challenge from the outset with many skills required to deliver a fully refurbished and restored building to meet the client′s expectations.

Using its multi-disciplinary approach, including building consultancy and planning services, Evans Jones was able to deliver the majority of these services in house, leading to a streamlined approach and the all-important single point of contact for Cheltenham Ladies College.

The building now forms one of the College′s first points of contact with parents and visitors, offering a conferencing and meeting facility for both the College and the local community. This is combined with a top class Medical Centre serving every pupil attending the College.

Waste Minimisation Statements

The assessment criteria for WMSs require more than a broad commitment to sustainable waste minimisation. The onus is on the developer to demonstrate how waste management is being addressed at all stages of the development process. WMSs are required to provide details on projected waste materials and quantities, as well as the methods of monitoring and re-use during the design, demolition, and construction stages. Furthermore waste management measures to be implemented during operation (e.g. recycling box/residual bin requirements) also need to be addressed.

David Jones, Head of Planning at Evans Jones LLP commented; “The initial response from planning professionals and developers with regard to the recently published Supplementary Planning Guidance on Waste Minimisation has largely been skeptical.

Incorporating waste minimisation and the efficient use of building materials is crucial in reducing landfill and contributing to sustainability agendas. The principal of waste minimisation in development is not refuted, reservation is however held over whether such information is being requested at the right stage. For example there is often a degree of uncertainty regarding design and materials for schemes submitted in outline form. In this instance there will undoubtedly be a degree of ambiguity over the level of detail required.

A more appropriate solution would be to request information on waste minimisation by means of a planning condition; once planning permission has been granted developers are in a better position to specify materials and detail construction plans, consequently integrating waste minimisation measures”.

For many the requirement for WMSs is clearly another ‘tick in the box’ to enable application registration. However, WMSs have now become a material consideration and therefore development professionals will need to become familiar with their function to enable the successful determination of all applications for Major Development.

Evans Jones is experienced in preparing Waste Management Statements for applications requiring Environmental Impact Assessments, of which predominately have the same assessment criterions as WMSs. The Evans Jones cross-departmental alliance enables sharing of technical knowledge and more realistic waste minimisation measures to be identified that otherwise could not be achieved by planning consultants and architects alone.

For more information on the implications of PPS10: Planning for Sustainable Waste Management and Waste Minimisation Statements please do not hesitate to contact Evans Jones Planning Division.

In launching Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) the Government has placed much greater emphasis on Brownfield development, more flexibility for local authorities, affordable family housing, good design and tougher environmental standards.

The key policy directions are as follows:

• Local authorities must bring forward more appropriate land for housing, planning fifteen years ahead to prevent delays.
• Housing and neighbourhoods must be well designed. Local planning authorities should turn down poor quality planning applications.
• Planners must consider the environment, sustainability and the need to cut carbon dioxide omissions, together with wider environmental and sustainability considerations.
• Local authorities must prioritise Brownfield development, but have the power to set their own standards.
• Councils have more flexibility to decide where houses are built.
• Affordable housing, especially in rural areas, is a priority.
• National minimum threshold for affordable housing provision on all sites of fifteen or more dwellings. But authorities can set lower standards where justified on need.

Gone is the average density range of 30 to 50 dwellings per hectare, with local authorities able to set their own range in local development frameworks, provided that 30 dwellings per hectare remains the minimum density.

Authorities are required to consider the needs of children for the first time providing green spaces as well as more family homes. See companion guide.

Local authorities must maintain a rolling five-year supply of immediately deliverable land for housing.

It is interesting in reviewing the PPS, the number of times 'good design' is mentioned - virtually on every page. This coupled with design advice in PPS1 and the requirement for design and access statements for all but minor applications will hopefully empower local authorities to refuse consent for obviously inadequate designs.

In practice one must ask whether many authorities have the necessary skills to determine what 'good design' is. And conversely whether the industry has the motivation to pursue imaginative schemes.

David Jones, Head of Evans Jones Planning commented;

Evans Jones submits applications throughout the country and already experiences huge variations from one local authority to another. Most local authority architectural departments were disbanded many years ago, thus planners must rely upon design advice provided by architectural panels (often not the most objective consultee). Some rely upon conservation officers, many of whom have a conservation / preservation agenda and do not possess the necessary skills to comment on good or bad design.

The commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) first national audit of new housing development makes grim reading. According to the commission fewer than one in five developments are good or very good but 40% were found to be poor.

Time will tell how local authorities respond to the new challenges imposed by PPS3, however the very real concern is that the majority of local authorities simply do not have the resources to collect the necessary data to meaningfully respond to the requirement for housing to be responsive to local need, and designed to a constantly high standard responding to local distinctiveness.

As a constituent part of many of the major applications handled by Evans Jones we produce travel plans which seek to encourage, in a structured manner, the reduction in non essential car usage. I realised very quickly that it was all very well the practice preaching to others how they should introduce initiatives encouraging alternative forms of transport, when as a practice we were doing little to support the initiative within our own office.

Evans Jones new Travel Plan initiative includes:
- Promoting public transport, walking and cycling
- Managing the use of cars and encouraging car sharing
- Providing office shower facilities and secure cycle parking
- Removing the automatic right to allocated parking spaces
- Facilitating working from home via remote access to the company computer system
- Subsidising cycle purchases

These simple measures have dramatically reduced reliance on the private motor car at Evans Jones and have demonstrated that there are positive measures that companies of all sizes can take to reduce car dependency.

David confirmed,

Since the introduction of the scheme, I examined my own driving patterns and considered whether I really needed to travel to work by car. I live a 20 minute walk from the office or a 10 minute cycle ride; I thus have viable alternatives to the motor car as a means of transport

Evans Jones prepares Travel Plans for many small, medium and large companies, and the practices experience demonstrates that there are positive steps which can be taken to reduce car dependency, regardless of company size or geographical location.

Press enquiries: David Jones, Evans Jones - Tel. 01242 531411
Web site www.evansjones.co.uk
Email enquiries@evansjones.co.uk

Press Enquiries:

• Ian Eggleton. Tel. 01242 531413

The planning application for the Gloucester Road redevelopment proposal was submitted by Evans Jones following the closure of the New Penny pub in the summer of 2005, when the building fell into disrepair. The application was made on behalf of RS Developments of Gloucester.

Evans Jones plans to construct two brand new apartment buildings on the site, comprising 12 x 1 bed flats and 2 x 1 bed flats.

David Jones, head of planning, at Evans Jones, comments: "The current site needs this investment of capital in order to regenerate the immediate area. The scheme will not only improve the site and its surroundings, but will also help provide much-needed property for first time buyers. If the planning application is accepted, we will work closely with RS Developments to ensure that the development is a real success."

ENDS

Press enquiries:

• David Jones, Evans Jones. Tel. 01242 531411