Design of luxury new five-bed home near to grade II-listedLathom House revealed

Feb 28 2013 by Rob Pattinson, Ormskirk Advertiser

THE stunning design of a luxury five-bed home to be built near the grade II listed Lathom House has been revealed.

Harrison Stringfellow Architects has secured planning approval for a new build home within the Lathom Park Conservation Area.

The scheme was approved after the firm met a number of technical, heritage and ecological challenges, including protecting the original moat which crosses within the boundaries of the development site, and rehousing bats and great crested newts.

The five-bedroomed development sits over three levels, with the firm saying it has taken inspiration from the site’s listed Ha-Ha wall. Work on the new building is set to start on site within the year, and will replace a bungalow built in the 1990s. It was part of the redevelopment of the West Wing of the Grade II listed Lathom House, now a number of apartments.

Sarah Harrison, director at Harrison Stringfellow Architects, said: “We’re delighted to have secured full planning approval on this property. It has been a complex project, on a site of both archaeological and ecological interest.

“We’ve worked closely with the planning and conservation officers to enable us to bring a superb piece of land back into modern day use, whilst retaining and protecting the historical importance of the site.”

The development will include a pool and leisure area in the basement, and will be set within a new walled-garden landscape. The application for the site went before the council’s planning committee earlier this month.

Lathom Park Trust, Lathom Parish Council and West Lancashire Civic Trust objected to the scheme. While the West Lancs conservation advisory panel recommended refusal, citing fears it would harm the setting of the existing listed building.

But borough planner John Harrison recommended approval be granted, stating that while the proposal was a departure from the existing development in terms of character and design, it would not harm the setting of the conservation area.

At the meeting, Cllr Eddie Pope proposed refusal on the grounds of the impact on the West Wing.

But Cllr John Hodson said: “Yes it’s different but in my opinion the greater the difference the better. If you try and copy something it would end up as a pastiche.”

And Cllr John Davis praised it as a good example of modern design and landscaping. The scheme was approved 13 votes to 11.