Crafting Legacy: A Guide to Building a Paragraph 84 Home in the English Countryside

Prologue: Where Architecture Meets the Earth

In every walk through the English countryside, there’s a whisper of something timeless — hedgerows that have outlived dynasties, footpaths worn by centuries, and silence that makes space for thought.

To propose a home here is to enter a dialogue with land, light, ecology, and legacy. That’s the challenge - and the invitation - of a Paragraph 84 home.

At RISE Design Studio, we don’t approach this type of work as architecture in the conventional sense. These are not just homes. They are living sculptures, energy systems, ecosystems, and heirlooms. They are buildings that ask more of us — and give back more in return.

In this guide, we’ll explore the intricacies, ambitions, and deeper philosophy behind Paragraph 84 homes. But most importantly, we’ll share what it takes to make one possible.

1. What Is a Paragraph 84 Home — And Why Does It Matter?

Paragraph 84 (formerly 55, 79, 80) of the National Planning Policy Framework is one of the only planning clauses in England that allows new homes to be built in open countryside without existing infrastructure, previous dwellings, or rural business justification.

It’s the architectural equivalent of being invited to pitch a tent in a National Park — provided the tent is extraordinary in every sense.

To qualify, a proposed home must be:

• Truly outstanding in design

• Innovative and responsive to the setting

• Sensitive to local character

• And must significantly enhance its surroundings

In other words, your home must earn its place.

This policy has become something of a mythic aspiration among design-led architects and ambitious clients. Why? Because it demands not just skill, but soul.

2. A Policy Rooted in Purpose — Not Loopholes

Planning permission in open countryside is notoriously difficult to secure. Most policies aim to prevent development in these areas to protect rural character and ecosystems.

Paragraph 84 doesn’t contradict that principle — it builds on it. Rather than discouraging all new homes, it sets an exceptionally high bar: if your home can improve the landscape, uplift the standards of architecture, and serve as a prototype for future sustainability, then it deserves to exist.

Sally Arnold, founder of The Plannery, describes Paragraph 84 as "a litmus test for integrity in rural development." She’s worked on dozens of cases where applicants thought they had a chance, but only the ones with vision, coherence, and design courage succeeded.

In her words:

“You’re not just applying for permission to build a home. You’re applying for permission to change the way we think about homes in the countryside.”

3. What Makes a Home 'Truly Outstanding'?

It’s not just about aesthetics — it’s about coherence.

Outstanding homes under Paragraph 84:

• Use materials that speak the language of the site

• Incorporate cutting-edge sustainable technologies as part of the architecture (not tacked-on)

• Express a design narrative that ties together form, context, and function

• Create a sense of place that uplifts the surroundings

This doesn’t mean futuristic gimmicks or gratuitous form-making. It means clarity of vision.

We designed one home where the layout mimicked the ripple of a stream running nearby. Another took its pitched roofline directly from the surrounding agricultural typology but inverted it as a courtyard. In both cases, the building grew from the site, rather than being placed upon it.

4. Finding the Right Site — Where Magic Begins (or Ends)

Sally Arnold often says, “The site chooses you.” And she’s right.

The most promising Paragraph 84 plots often have:

• Evidence of a previous structure (even if long-gone)

• A meaningful topography (woodlands, ridges, watercourses)

• A setting that invites enhancement, not just sensitivity

But what matters even more is the narrative: why this place? Why this design? Why now?

It’s not uncommon for clients to fall in love with a site, only to discover it lacks the contextual or policy support required. That’s why at RISE, we conduct a pre-feasibility study before lifting a pencil. If a site lacks the planning DNA, we’ll be honest about it. Better to walk away early than invest in a design that’s dead on arrival.

5. Assembling the Right Team — Your Architects, Planners, and Allies

Paragraph 84 homes are not the place for dabbling.

You need:

• An architect with deep contextual experience

• A planning consultant who knows how to interpret ambiguity

• Landscape and ecological experts who can make your scheme sing within its setting

• Structural engineers familiar with low-embodied carbon design

• Energy consultants who can justify performance without greenwashing

Sally Arnold describes successful teams as “multi-voiced ensembles who understand when to lead and when to listen.” The application process is rarely linear. It involves iteration, revision, and negotiation. Choose people who are resilient and collaborative.

6. The Role of Landscape and Ecology — Not a Backdrop, But a Co-Author

Paragraph 84 homes are not set on the landscape — they are of it.

Local Planning Authorities expect applications to show how the landscape design enhances biodiversity, strengthens ecological networks, and reduces harm from built form.

This is where the input of a Landscape Architect and Arboricultural Consultant becomes critical. They provide the logic for the building’s position, the justification for planting schemes, and the narrative for how this home becomes an asset to the land, not a burden.

We once collaborated on a scheme where the entire building footprint was determined by a root protection zone for an ancient hawthorn. That decision didn’t limit us — it focused us.

7. The Planning Application — A Story Told in Many Languages

Planning isn’t won on drawings alone. It’s won on:

• Statements that translate design language into planning policy

• Reports that demonstrate ecological gain

• Justifications that show landscape enhancement

• And above all, a compelling design narrative

We work with Sally Arnold and other senior planning experts to curate every submission. Every report is integrated. Every diagram speaks to a purpose. Every precedent is selected with care.

Design Review Panels, though optional, are another powerful tool. A positive review can shift even the most sceptical local planning officer’s view. At RISE, we present to DRPs early and often.

8. Costs — Let’s Be Honest

Paragraph 84 homes are not affordable housing.
They are high-investment, high-impact homes.

Expect:

• Pre-planning and design: £20,000–£40,000

• Construction costs: £4,000–£8,000/sqm (depending on sustainability targets and materials)

• Planning consultants, ecology reports, design reviews: £10,000–£30,000+

But what you get in return is not just a house. You get a home that matters — architecturally, environmentally, culturally. And in many cases, a site that becomes dramatically more valuable post-permission.

9. What Happens Once You’re Approved?

Winning approval is just the beginning. Delivery is its own discipline.

At RISE, we take pride in seeing our Paragraph 84 homes all the way through to completion, not just securing permissions and walking away. We’ve seen what happens when the build phase is managed poorly and design intent is lost.

With the right delivery team, your design can stay intact and perform as intended.

10. Living in a Paragraph 84 Home — What Clients Say

We asked some of our past clients what surprised them most about the experience:

• “It made us pay attention to the seasons in a way we never had before.”

• “There’s a quiet pride knowing the home has improved the land.”

• “Our kids learned what orientation meant, what biodiversity is, and why windows matter.”

11. The Bigger Picture — Why Paragraph 84 Is About the Future of Rural Living

At a time of ecological crisis and architectural homogeneity, Paragraph 84 offers an antidote.

It says: Yes, we can build in the countryside.
But only if we build better than ever before.

This policy is a crucible — only the most intentional ideas survive.
But those that do?
They redefine what it means to dwell, to belong, to build with integrity.

Sally Arnold put it best:

“Paragraph 84 homes aren't just about policy. They're about proving that architecture can lead — not follow — in our response to the climate and housing crises.”

Final Words: The Courage to Build with Meaning

At RISE Design Studio, we believe architecture should reflect who we are — and who we hope to become.

If you're considering a Paragraph 84 home, ask yourself:

• Are you ready to do something truly exceptional?

• Are you open to collaboration, challenge, and possibility?

• Do you want to leave something behind — not just for your family, but for the land?

If so, we’d love to help you build it.

Let’s talk.
Reach out to RISE Design Studio to begin your Paragraph 84 journey. Together, we’ll create something the land will thank you for.

If you would like to talk through your project with the team, please do get in touch at architects@risedesignstudio.co.uk or give us a call on 020 3947 5886

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