A self sufficient rural home is to be built at Bow Brickhill, Buckinghamshire, after Planning team in Milton Keynes secured planning permission on behalf of the landowner.

The team was instructed to promote the proposal and give evidence at the subsequent appeal. The exceptional quality and innovative nature of the house design were two of the factors cited by the Planning Inspector in granting permission under Planning Policy Statement 7 - Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, which allows special justification for a dwelling in open countryside where the proposals demonstrate exceptional quality and innovative design.

The site lies in a designated area of attractive landscape, bordering the mature woodland of the Bedford Estate some 300 metres from Woburn Golf Course. The proposed four bedroom house nestles into a hillside and will be earth sheltered and shaped in an arc to maximise solar capture.

The dwelling will be fully integrated into the surrounding land, so that the local bio-diversity can be protected and enhanced, and the design incorporates a self sufficient water system, using harvested rain water, together with reed bed waste treatment. A combination of solar energy, using photovoltaic panels, and biomass heating will provide the house's lighting and heating requirements.
The design prompted praise from the Planning Inspector, who noted that the building is likely to add considerably to existing knowledge and expertise on energy and resource management.

Jeremy Pyatt, Head of Planning at Milton Keynes, commented: "We were very pleased to be involved in such a fascinating project and delighted that the Inspector was so supportive of the scheme, given the uniqueness of the design and proposed open countryside location."