© Alan Berryman THE BEST LAID PLANS
For many self-builders, finding a plot to build on is the biggest hurdle, but for one retired couple using their own land proved just as problematic, for a host of reasons. Roseanne Field reports
S
et back from the main A22 road and tucked in to a tight site behind large trees and bushes, it’s hard to fathom why Alan and Elizabeth Berryman’s self-build in the desirable East Sussex town of East Grinstead would have initially been refused planning permission.
But the couple’s journey has by no means been an easy one.
Their substantial and elegant current house, built in the 1960s, is situated in a large plot at the end of a long driveway, the garden including a small parcel of land to the front where they initially decided to build a modest new home for Elizabeth’s elderly mother. Sectioned off by an assortment of trees, the plot is in line with various other houses that have been built on adjacent plots throughout the years.
TWO-YEAR STRUGGLE
The first hurdle was arranging a meeting with a planning officer – at a cost of £100 – at Haywards Heath Council, to discuss the way forward. Showing up for the appointment, they found they were meeting someone who dealt only with extensions and couldn’t help them.
They were told that while there was no guarantee they would meet the relevant
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www.sbhonline.co.uk A visit to Grand
Designs Live proved to be a turning point
person, they would have to apply for another meeting, and find another £100. Upon hearing this, “my mouth dropped open,” says Elizabeth, who ran a chocolate shop before retiring, adding: “The more I try to find out about planning, the more I realise I don’t know.”
Nevertheless they persevered, and it was during this second meeting they discovered that their proposed plot was classified as ‘C1 countryside’, meaning it can only be built on in exceptional circumstances. Despite being somewhat disheartened, a visit to Grand Designs Live proved to be a turning point. “We met a young designer called Will Foster who had won several awards,” explains Elizabeth. “He said, ‘I’ll get your planning permission,’ and a great deal of time and money later, he did.”
The design that was eventually given approval was a low, circular house with a small chunk missing to allow for existing trees. Alan, a former IT specialist, explains that as well as
ABOVE
The house had to be rotated so that it faces the hedge bordering the A22 road
OPPOSITE
The construction of the Scandia-Hus was one of the most straightforward parts of the whole process
LOW POINT
“I think the most frustrating thing is still the planning permission. It took far too long and was far too irritating.”
Elizabeth Berryman
july/august 2017
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