The private house has been designed for a 1.66ha area of predominantly grassland in green belt-designated countryside just south of Bispham Green, west Lancashire.West Lancashire Borough Councils planning department granted the scheme planning permission in October, via delegated powers.Planning officers concluded that the highly bespoke and contemporary design met the policy exception for new dwellings in the countryside as set out in paragraph 84e of the National Planning Policy Framework.AdvertisementThe exemption clause (formerly paragraph 80) allows new, isolated homes to be built in the open countryside if they are deemed of exceptional design quality and would significantly enhance [the] immediate setting. Source:Shaw and JaggerApproved: Shaw and Jagger's Paragraph 84 house in the Lancashire green belt - Aerial viewThe two-storey, four-bedroom house has been designed so that the landscape takes centre stage, according to Shaw and Jagger.Designed in collaboration with engineers Webb Yates, the building features tree-like cross-laminated timber columns set out in a grid formation derived from the spacing of osier plants a type of willow tree commonly found in fenlands and near rivers.The interlocking structure, designed to create a continuation of the landscape, will support a predominantly glazed faade.The house will span 780m across both floors, with an additional 100m detached garage. The plan features a large, open plan living area, described as a great hall, on the ground floor, with a central spiral staircase leading up to a first-floor gallery from which bedrooms are accessed.AdvertisementThe proposed development includes a biomass heating system fuelled by willow harvested on the site.Shaw and Jagger is hoping to to achieve a Biodiversity Net Gain of 106 per cent with the project.In their report, planning officers said: The proposed landscaping and osier planting to enable the restoration of a lost historic landscape would enhance the visual amenity and landscape character of the area and result in significant ecological gain in the form of a 106 per cent increase in the biodiversity of the site.Shaw and Jagger said: Viewed from the surrounding landscape, the impact of the house will change through the seasons as the willow is pollarded for harvesting, providing a bold architectural backdrop directly related to agricultural biomass production. Internally, the contemporary family home will remain as a dramatic architectural statement. Source:Shaw and JaggerApproved: Shaw and Jagger's Paragraph 84 house in the Lancashire green belt - Night viewPROJECT DATALocationLancashire GreenbeltLocal authorityWest LancashireType of project Dwelling under provision of NPPF Country House ClauseClientPrivateArchitect Steven Tyson c/o Shaw and Jagger ArchitectsLandscape architect Shaw and Jagger ArchitectsPlanning consultant NoneStructural engineer Webb YatesM&E consultant Webb YatesPrincipal designer Shaw and JaggerFunding PrivateTender date Early Spring 2025Start on site date Late Spring 2025Completion date 2027Contract duration Two years approxGross internal floor area 814mAnnual CO2 emissions UnknownTotal cost Undisclosed