Plans submitted to transform Ancona house in Hythe with views over English Channel

Plans for an eye-catching ‘eco-mansion’ with views over the English Channel have been submitted.

The proposal seeks to tear down existing three-bed house Ancona in Hythe and replace it with a modern three-storey family home.

The new build, which has been inspired by the modernist movement of the 1920s and 30s, will be equipped with four bedrooms, bathrooms, a balcony, dining and lounge rooms, a swimming pool, wine store, dressing rooms, outdoor seating area, space for three cars and a one-bedroom annex above the garage.

It will be black and white in colour, have a pebble roof and have integrated solar panels to harvest solar energy.

The plans have been submitted by a Mr and Mrs Semadeni, who, according to the design and access statement, want to create a family home which includes spaces to work, can accommodate guests and allow their “two dogs to be part of the house without muddy paws becoming an issue with open plan living”.

Designs come from award-winning architects Hollaway, a Hythe-based firm also behind the recently approved renovation of the Leas Pavilion in Folkestone .

In their plans, Hollaway state: “The scheme takes design inspiration from the modernist movements of the 1920s and 30s, a period that created some of the best examples of seafront architecture.

“The scheme aims to reinterpret this movement for the current day, creating a design, that like the houses of the 20s and 30s, remains appropriate in years to come.”

The rooms have also been laid out to take advantage of natural light: “Sun will rise in the east coming into the master bedroom and breakfast orangery, continuing around through the living spaces and finally setting through the projecting bay window of the sitting room in the evening.”

Holloway’s submissions add: “We believe this house will not only stand the test of time, but is designed with an understanding of its past and contemporary family living.

“It is flexible enough to accommodate the changing needs of a family and makes full use of this exceptional site.”

The house, in Cliff Road, is located within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), but planning literature notes the “replacement dwelling has been carefully thought through in order to reduce any impact on the AONB and wider countryside”.

It will have views over the sea and sits adjacent to Sene Valley Golf Course.

Efforts have also been made to ensure the house is sustainable. Documents read: “A key part of the design has been to incorporate energy efficiency measures within the proposal.

“Solar panels have been recessed into the roof, which ensures that the proposal creates a building which is more energy efficient than the existing dwelling, with lower overall running costs.”

Work has already been carried out on site to determine if the development would affect wildlife.

During a bat survey, common pipistrelles were seen coming from the roof of the existing house.

Bats are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 because of their specific roosting requirements, and disturbing the animal, or so much as obstructing a roost, is a criminal offence.

Therefore it is recommended that a wooden bat box be added to a tree prior to demolition and that two built in bat boxes be fitted to the walls of the new house.

This will provide long-term roosting habitats.

The results of the bat survey also show that a licensed bat handler would be present at demolition in case any animals are found.

An ecology survey also determined it ‘unlikely’ that great crested newts are on site, and said there was no evidence of badgers, reptiles or hazel dormice.

It was outlined however that clearance work of vegetation should be well-timed in case it disrupts breeding birds.

In 2010, a similar planning application was submitted which also sought permission to demolish the existing home and build a replacement one. This application was approved, but work never started.

This new application was received by Folkestone and Hythe District Council at the end of August and is currently “under consultation”.

No comments from neighbours have been added to the planning portal, but Hythe Town Council have shown support for the plans.

It is not known when a decision will be made.

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