Lodge Hill Centre, near Pulborough, is a charity that provides transformative outdoor experiences for children, young people, and adults of all abilities, through a wide range of learning activities. In order to maintain and fund the centre for the years to come, the charity decided to utilise a portion of their land and build 4 houses there.
The Issue
A series of contemporary dwellings were designed, with each abode built at different angles to make best use of the triangular plot of land. Natural materials would be used, to complement the woodland setting and blend with the existing landscape, with the garages each having grass roofs.
Given Lodge Hill’s location within the South Downs National Park and its designation within a Dark Sky Reserve, the building plans had to prioritise sustainability and environmental sensitivity. Key design elements included:
• Low-impact architecture that blends seamlessly with the natural surroundings • Energy-efficient solutions, such as solar panels and enhanced insulation • Minimised light pollution in accordance with Dark Sky Reserve guidelines • Use of sustainable materials to reduce environmental impact
The Solution
The Application Site is located within an E1 Environmental Zone, because it is within the South Downs National Park and within the South Downs International Dark Sky Reserve 2km Buffer Zone.
The Desktop Study that we performed, showed us that the northern, eastern and western boundaries of the Application Site were areas with potentially sensitive wildlife. As such the “worst-case scenario” is assumed and DFL refer to the guidance in GN08/2023 to avoid potential harm to the areas. It was highly likely that those ecological receptors would be sensitive to light, even more likely that they would be commuting/ foraging bats
We advised that the proposed development of four houses would require lighting for safety and amenity at limited times during the hours of darkness. This lighting needed to be fit for purpose and sensitive to nearby human and ecological receptors.
As always with areas such as this, a warm white colour temperature light is recommended and one that would only distribute light downwards, to avoid potential light spill to the surrounding buildings and upwards to the sky.
Wall lanterns were recommended to be no greater than 2 metres from the ground and should use proximity sensors, only switching on for 1 minute when presence is detected.
The Result
This is a big step forward for Lodge Hill Centre, giving them the means to continue the amazing work they do. The architectural design strikes a careful balance between progress and preservation, supporting mindful growth within the South Downs National Park and DFL’s lighting design follows local authority guidelines and complements each home’s unique character - providing the light needed while still protecting the surrounding wildlife and woodland.
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