Nicolas Tye is the director of Tye Architects, based in Bedfordshire. The practice design one-off homes that push the boundaries of innovation. For more information call 01525 406677 or visit www.tyearchitects.com
What is Paragraph 80 and what is its purpose?
Paragraph 80 is a national planning policy that has been around for some decades. It’s slowly migrated from a policy only used by super wealthy landowners to build a large classical manor on thousands of acres of land, to now being used by owners of one to three acres of land to potentially build their own house. Paragraph 80 has several clauses to it, but most of the enquiries we get are related to section 80e, which provides exceptional circumstances for the construction of a new home in the countryside. The design must be truly outstanding and of exceptional quality. It must also raise the standards of design in rural areas as well as significantly enhance its immediate setting and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area. The purpose is to raise the standards of architecture by improving the quality of design in new housing, which, in general, is otherwise ordinary and lacks consideration for the environment.