Northwood Road Development, Ramsgate & Broadstairs
Located on land North West of Northwood Road and between Ramsgate and Broadstairs, we assisted our client to envision redevelopment of the land into a bespoke development of high-end housing comprising 38 units and successfully achieved full planning permission in November of 2023.
The site is east of Westwood Cross, a large retail development, and is surrounded by trees near Fairlawn Road and Northwood Road. This residential area has a domestic scale. Currently vacant with derelict structures, it is not within a conservation area and has no listed buildings nearby. Located within Ramsgate and partially Broadstairs, it is accessible via a wide road off Northwood Road with limited hardstanding from its former agricultural use.
The application obtained approval for 38 units: 29 houses and 9 apartments, with access and parking. It involves demolishing redundant agricultural structures and replacing them with 2-3 storey houses, including a small block of flats. The existing access from Northwood Road will be retained, aiming to create a small community.
Each house has two parking spaces, and each flat has one. There are eight visitor spaces proposed. The site, set back from Northwood Road, offers an opportunity to foster a friendly, safe, and attractive community atmosphere. The layout follows a circular form, facilitating a smooth flow of movement.
The planting proposal, developed by specialists Lloyd Bore, includes native flowering and fruiting trees in rear gardens, smaller flowering street trees, and accent trees at corners and the entrance. A soft landscaping buffer at the entrance aims to reduce noise impact:
Proposed Site Plan: A new access road and circulation roads, 4.8-5.1m wide, are proposed within the site. A shared surface design prioritizes pedestrians and ensures access for refuse and large vehicles. Transitions between soft and hard landscaping will be flush, with pedestrian areas highlighted by different colored paviors. This design aims to reduce traffic speed and encourage community use of open areas.
Proposed Site Elevations: The proposed buildings result from an iterative design process, creating contemporary dwellings with detached, semi-detached, and apartment units. The dwelling sizes exceed national space standards, with increased floor-to-floor heights ensuring ample daylight and natural ventilation.
House Types: This proposal aims to provide much-needed residential accommodation, utilizing the vacant plot to create a small, safe, community-oriented development. Design precedents and materials aim to create a distinctive, contemporary feel while respecting the local context and offering high-quality living spaces. The 33 dwellings vary from 2-4 bedrooms, and the 5 apartment flats have 2-3 bedrooms, providing a mix of housing sizes. Each unit includes a lockable cycle store and recycling bin storage.
House Type 1 (7 units): Brick and rendered facade with vertical timber panels and brick detail panes. Open plan living room and kitchen/diner, separate study, four double bedrooms, and a study library on the top landing. GIA: 191m².
House Type 2 (4 units): Semi-detached with rendered gable, split rendered/brick facade, vertical timber clad entrance, open plan living/kitchen/dining, two bedrooms, study, and a third bedroom with ensuite in the roof space. GIA: 137m².
House Type 3 (1 unit): Bungalow with sand-faced buff brickwork, slim-framed aluminium casement windows, vertical brick detail panels, two double bedrooms, a single bedroom, and an open plan kitchen/living/dining area. GIA: 102m².
House Type 4 (HT4) (8 units): Semi-detached, two-storey dwelling with steeply pitched roof, part rendered and larch clad facade, front recessed terrace, open plan living/dining/kitchen, separate utility, cloakroom, two bedrooms, study, large double bedroom with ensuite on the second floor. GIA: 171m².
House Type 5 (2 units): Detached with larch, brick, ‘slate’, render, dark brick detail panes, split render/brick gable end, dark brick angled bay, vertical timber clad entrance, open plan kitchen/living/dining, three bedrooms, study/library on the second floor landing, and a fourth bedroom with ensuite shower in the roof space. GIA: 191m².
House Type 6 (3 units): Affordable unit with brick ground floor, vertical timber cladding, and render on the second floor. Features a fibre cement pitched gable roof, rendered rear and sides, open plan kitchen/living/dining area on the ground floor, two double bedrooms, and a single bedroom on the first floor. GIA: 96m².
House Type 7 (4 units): Affordable terraced units, appearing as houses but consisting of two flats, with the ground floor having an M4(3) disabled layout. Brick ground floor, vertical timber cladding, and render on the second floor, fibre cement pitched gable roof, rendered rear and sides. Each flat includes an open plan kitchen/living/dining area and a large double bedroom. GIA: 55m².
House Type 8 (4 units): Affordable unit with brick ground floor, vertical timber cladding, and render on the second floor. Fibre cement pitched gable roof, rendered rear and sides, open plan kitchen/living/dining area on the ground floor, and two double bedrooms with a bathroom on the first floor. GIA: 77m².
Apartment Block 1 (5 flats): Central landscaped island location with two and three-storey block featuring a central circulation core and angled gable. Buff brick, vertical timber cladding, and textured cement panels match the fibre cement slate roof. Each flat has open plan living accommodation leading to a large terraced area with a canopy. Flat 1 GIA: 80m², Flat 2 GIA: 80m², Flat 3 GIA: 85m², Flat 4 GIA: 85m², Flat 5 GIA: 103m².