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Controversial Eco Home Next to Batman’s Mansion
A new and highly innovative self-build has been submitted for planning approval close to Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, right on my ‘patch’. The Grade I listed Hall featured in the last Batman movie as ‘Wayne Manor‘, fortunately getting through to the end of the film without being blown up.
The application has hit the headlines because aside from its radical appearance it has been commissioned by a couple originally of modest means who have won £45 million on the lottery. It will have eight bedrooms, a sound proofed cinema, pod-like roofs and its own waterfall.
When I look at the drawings, the designer half of my brain says: “Fantastic, it’s about time we had a ground breaking house in the area. It will look cool and encourage everyone else to be more adventurous.”
Then the irritating, practical, down-to-earth half of my brain chips in with: “That? For only £5million? How will the water be drained from the roof? Where are the gutters and downpipes? What about daylight levels under those tortoise shells?”. So I am torn between loving it and concern about how easy it will be to match the dream when they come up against the reality of actually having to build it.
The house has already caused great upset in some circles because it is going to replace an existing house on one of the most exclusive and expensive roads in the county.
A Daily Mail headline suggested that they are “lucky people with bad taste”. This immediately makes me like the scheme a little more, and warm to the lottery winners who are being subjected to such outrageous snobbery. Unnamed neighbours are reported as being aghast, calling it “very out of character for the area”, which as far as I am concerned tips the balance firmly in favour of this project.
It will no doubt be a controversial planning decision, but from what I have seen so far there are no reasonable grounds for refusal. I only hope that the planning officers and their committee have the courage to see it through.
New House, Nottingham. The architects are Baca – www.baca.uk.com
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I wonder if the planning department will be more cooperative if the press continues to take an interest and the projects receives more than usual publicity ?
I will be VERY interested to see what the planners have to say about this application. I say hats off to the lottery winners for commissioning a very brave piece of architecture. The site is so well screened that the inward facing design set around its own courtyard should have far less impact on the neighbours than a ‘normal’ house. Its far better than the usual pastiche that gets churned out!!