Planning Approved: Modernising a 1920s Heritage Home in the Peak District
A significant win for family living in Bamford, Derbyshire.
At MAD Architects LLP, we understand that adapting a home in the Peak District is a balancing act. It requires respecting the heritage of the landscape while delivering the thermal performance and comfort required for modern living. We are delighted to announce that we have successfully secured planning permission for a substantial two-storey rear extension and renovation in Bamford, Hope Valley.
The Context
Our client is taking over their childhood home—a charming 1920s stone property that had been well-maintained but was showing its age. While the house sits on a generous plot with stunning views of the Peak District hills, the existing layout was disconnected from the garden. The north-west garden slopes away from the house, leaving the living spaces isolated from the outdoors.
The brief was clear: create a "forever home" that honours the past but embraces the future. The client needed a large open-plan kitchen/family area, a new master bedroom suite, and a dedicated boot room for muddy Peak District walks. Crucially, the house needed a severe thermal upgrade, as the original structure offered little protection against the Derbyshire winters.
The Challenge: Navigating Peak Park Policy
Planning in the Peak District National Park is rightfully rigorous. The primary hurdle here was the massing of the new extension. To prevent the addition from overpowering the original dwelling, the Planning Authority insisted on a hipped roof design rather than a standard gable.
This created a design conflict: a hipped roof naturally lowers the ceiling height at the edges, which threatened to obscure the critical views from the new master bedroom window—the very reason for the extension.
Additionally, navigating material choices in the Peak Park is delicate. We proposed high-performance flush sash uPVC windows to replace the aging frames. Usually, timber is the preferred requirement for heritage aesthetic, but modern energy efficiency was a priority for our client.
The Design Solution
Our success lay in detailed negotiation and technical justification.
1. The "Hipped Window" Detail: We accepted the planning officer’s request for a hipped roof to reduce the visual bulk but engineered a smart compromise. By referencing detailing found on the original 1920s property, we designed a bespoke window configuration that sits within the hipped roof structure. This satisfied the planners' desire for "subservience" while preserving the client’s panoramic view of the valley from their master suite.
2. Thermal Performance vs. Aesthetic: To win the argument for flush sash uPVC windows, we provided a robust technical submission comparing U-values. We demonstrated that we could achieve the "timber look" required by conservation policy while delivering superior thermal retention. Combined with our strategy to install Internal Wall Insulation (IWI)—preserving the beautiful external natural stone—the home will now be as warm as it is beautiful.
3. Conquering the Slope: To connect the house to the sloping garden, we designed a raised patio that steps out from the new kitchen. This creates a seamless transition from the indoor living space to the outdoors, despite the steep 1-metre drop in ground level.
What's Next?
With Planning Permission secured, we are moving immediately into Technical Design. This phase involves detailing the complex steelwork required for the bespoke hipped roof and specifying the insulation strategy to ensure the home meets building regulations.