Water Lily House

Case study

An exceptional countryside home, refused, then won at appeal.

Water Lily House is an isolated dwelling in the Hampshire countryside, conceived as a home of genuinely exceptional design quality. Proposals for new houses in open countryside are resisted by national and local policy, and the scheme was refused by the local planning authority at first determination.

Dames A+P led the planning strategy and appeal. Kerry Dames acted as planning consultant on the case, working alongside the client's design team and building the argument that the dwelling met the demanding test for isolated homes of outstanding quality under Paragraph 84 of the NPPF. The appeal was allowed and consent secured.

How we approached it

Paragraph 84 cases turn on evidence and argument, not assertion. The strategy was structured from the first conversation: establish whether the test could realistically be met, then assemble each strand of the case so it stood up to scrutiny at appeal.

That meant a rigorous isolation assessment to frame the site in policy terms, close analysis of relevant case law and policy interpretation, and a clear narrative setting out why the design was truly outstanding rather than simply well-considered. We coordinated the supporting ecological and nutrient-neutrality evidence the site demanded, and prepared the full set of written representations that carried the appeal.

Why it mattered

Refusal is not the end of the road. With the right strategy, a policy-sensitive site can still deliver, and an integrated approach, where design and planning are tested against one another throughout, is what made the difference here. The result is a nationally significant outcome for a home that would not otherwise have been built.