The development site is located within dense urban conurbation though there are two small woodland areas adjacent to the southeast and north of the site. The proposed development includes the construction of a four bedroom house set over two floors together with off road parking spaces, private outside amenity areas as well as general ancillary spaces including secure cycle storage and a designated refuse area.

The site for the proposed new dwelling is to be created through the sub division of the current Manderley house. Pedestrian and vehicular access to the new dwelling is to be via the entrance off Manderley house and the associated driveway that currently serves Manderley. This shared approach will lead onto an enlargement of the existing driveway, with the visible separation of the two properties creating two clearly identifiable and distinguishable front entrance / parking areas.

The new dwelling is to be set away from the site’s eastern boundary so that the resulting distance between the adjacent dwellings to the east and the new dwelling is significant (in excess of 50m) resulting in any perceived overlooking from the new houses being negligible. Furthermore, this positioning creates a private outside amenity area (rear garden) that is screened (by virtue of the new dwelling itself) from the Manderley garden spaces that are set higher than the new house. In doing so this avoids direct overlooking between the outside areas of the new dwelling and Manderley.

The specific layout and vertical arrangement of the proposed house form is driven by the existing steeply sloping nature of the site, which includes a change in level in the region of 5m from the entrance driveway onto the site down to the eastern edge of the new rear garden.

 The front entrance to the new dwelling is set towards the eastern side of the site in order to maximize the distance between this entrance and the current entrance area of Manderley. Whilst the two properties will be in close proximity to each other, generating this distance between the points of entry will provide a degree of individual identity to each space as well as separation and privacy.

 The entrance level ground floor is arranged so that the open plan kitchen and dining area faces the newly created rear garden.

A greater use of glazing along the eastern façade enhances the connection between inside and outside. Conversely, the western side wall of the new house includes little fenestration and is predominantly solid to limit the visual connection with the adjacent higher garden area of Manderley, which would otherwise introduce overlooking and privacy issues for both properties.  Whilst the kitchen and dining area is open plan, the living area is a more defined separate room with punched windows facing onto the approach to the house and driveway, which in turn provide the desired privacy for the front elevation as opposed to expansive glazing.