Turning a seemingly impossible project into a success story: Dowen Farmer's triumph in securing planning permission for four homes on a challenging backland site. This project, spanning a 2,860m² area, is nestled behind Kent House Road, adjacent to the Alexandra Sports Ground, on the border of Sydenham and Penge East. But this wasn't an easy win. The journey to approval was paved with previous rejections.
Prior to this successful application, several proposals met with the same fate:
- Four semi-detached houses (rejected in 2010, then dismissed at appeal).
- Two detached dwellings with parking and a new driveway (also rejected at appeal).
- A proposal in 2017 (rejected).
- A previous application by Dowen Farmer (denied in October 2024 due to concerns about residential amenity and character).
The team, including consultant MJP Planning and landscape architect Studio Bosk, understood the consistent reasons for these rejections. They identified the issues as the long access roads, the loss of landscape structure, and the perception of cramped developments.
The approved plans, however, are described as 'landscape-led'. They use a 'soft touch approach' to create a 'quiet enclave', shaped by the existing woodland and filtered views. The layout is designed to follow the radial edge of the sports ground and includes a boardwalk.
The four timber-clad homes will feature 'bold, elegant corrugated roof forms'. While the exact completion date is yet to be determined, the project promises an interesting development.
Project Data at a Glance:
- Project Name: Kent House Road
- Lead Architect: Dowen Farmer Architects
- Location: London Borough of Bromley
- Function: Residential
- Client: Harvard & Taylor Developments
- Planning Consultant: MJP Planning
- Landscape Architect: Studio Bosk
- Transport Consultant: Markides Associates
- Arboricultural Consultant: Hayden’s Arboricultural Consultants
- Gross Site Area: 2,860m²
- Completion Date: To be decided
So, how did they finally get the green light?
Max Plotnek, founder of MJP Planning, explained that they reframed the approach to overcome the previous refusal. Instead of focusing on highways, they rethought the access as an amenity issue. They realized the problem wasn't the impact on highways, but how the access affected the space and experience, especially for residents at numbers 104 and 106 Kent House Road. The new design pulled day-to-day parking, servicing, and refuse collection to the site frontage.
And this is the part most people miss... The application also gave something back to the host dwelling. Previous schemes were criticized for negatively impacting number 106. The approved layout actually increased the garden space for number 106, restoring a relationship that officers found more consistent with the suburban character of Kent House Road.
But here's where it gets controversial... The team also acknowledged that backland solutions need a different approach. They recognized that a backland scheme on a site of this shape shouldn't mimic the street frontage. Instead, the design embraced a quieter architectural language, a strong landscape structure, and a layout shaped by the site's constraints.
The high-quality architecture was key to unlocking the site. The approved design takes a soft, subservient approach, allowing the buildings to blend into the landscape. The architecture enhances the existing landscape framework.
Crucially, this design-led approach was successful because Bromley faced a housing land supply shortfall, with paragraph 11(d) of the NPPF engaged, and substantial weight given to small windfall sites.
What do you think? Do you agree with the approach taken by Dowen Farmer? Do you think the design successfully integrates into the existing landscape? Share your thoughts in the comments!
