AOMD Wins Approval for Courtyard Garden House in Tunbridge Wells

Key facts

• Tunbridge Wells Borough Council granted unanimous planning permission for the 192 sq m Three Gables scheme.
• AOMD designed the 1.5-storey house on a 300 sq m garden plot in Langton Green.
• The project forms a sister home to Kissing Gables, currently under construction on the neighbouring garden plot.
• Plans to demolish two existing homes for 10 units were refused on the site in 2018.
• Nine neighbours objected over privacy and height concerns before boundary and eaves adjustments resolved overlooking issues.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has unanimously granted planning permission for Three Gables, a one-and-a-half-storey garden infill house designed by London practice AOMD in the Kent village of Langton Green. The decision allows London-based developer Caswell&Dainow to deliver a 192-square-metre detached home on a 300-square-metre plot carved out from the rear curtilage of an existing residential property, as first reported by Architects' Journal.

What has been approved in Langton Green

The approved application (reference 25/03014/FULL) authorises the construction of an L-shaped residence featuring an articulated gabled roofline across a single storey with rooms set into the roof. The dwelling is configured around a south-facing courtyard garden, creating a sheltered outdoor focal point for the internal living spaces.

This approval marks the second phase of a two-plot backland strategy by Caswell&Dainow in the immediate area. On the adjacent neighbouring plot, the developer is already constructing Kissing Gables, a five-bedroom bespoke house also designed by AOMD. Together, the two schemes represent the London developer's first residential ventures outside the capital, demonstrating an alternative approach to suburban intensification through discrete new-build homes inserted into mature residential gardens.

Planning background and suburban density

The site in Langton Green carries a complex planning history. In 2018, an earlier development proposal sought to demolish the two original neighbouring family houses and replace them with a higher-density scheme comprising 10 homes. That application was refused by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council due to concerns over overdevelopment and adverse impacts on the local residential character.

Following that refusal, Caswell&Dainow opted to preserve the two original donor houses and instead pursue sensitive infill within their extensive rear grounds. Rather than maximising unit numbers through comprehensive redevelopment, the revised model focuses on low-impact, high-specification architecture that maintains the existing suburban grain across the South East. Similar approaches to sensitive site intensification have emerged across rural and semi-rural contexts, as seen when architects deliver tailored interventions such as this rural retreat conversion in Cowes.

During the statutory consultation period for Three Gables, the local authority received objections from nine neighbouring residents. These representations raised concerns regarding overlooking, loss of privacy, the overall height of the new roof structures, and the scheme's measurable biodiversity net gain provisions.

Design, layout and topography

AOMD developed the layout in direct response to the elevated topography of the plot, which sits higher than neighbouring properties. To overcome overlooking and massing constraints, the practice adjusted the building's eaves heights downward and calibrated the set-backs from plot boundaries, reducing visual intrusion from adjacent vantage points.

The resulting plan wraps living spaces around the central courtyard. Glazed elevations facing the private outdoor space incorporate projecting oriel windows alongside sliding folding doors to establish a direct connection between internal circulation and the landscape, designed in collaboration with Heard Landscapes. Externally, structural brickwork piers form the primary architectural rhythm at ground level, anchoring the base while supporting the gables above.

What the team and planners said

Caswell&Dainow framed the project as an exercise in rethinking standard volume-driven suburban development. The developer noted that the refusal of the 10-unit scheme provided an opportunity to determine whether the priority should be delivering higher quality homes while safeguarding the existing streetscape assets.

AOMD founder Michael Dillon confirmed that the form was tailored directly to overcome local site conditions. Dillon noted that the team modified eaves and boundary relationships to address levels, explaining that the proposal "fitted within policy and we mitigated all overlooking issues" across the revised submission.

Planning officers at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council accepted that the reduced scale, tailored fenestration and landscape buffer adequately resolved residential amenity concerns, leading the planning committee to grant unanimous approval.

Next steps for the Kent project

With full planning permission confirmed under decision reference 25/03014/FULL, the project team will discharge pre-commencement planning conditions relating to materials samples, surface water drainage and construction management.

Work on Three Gables will follow the ongoing construction of the sister property Kissing Gables on the adjacent plot. Caswell&Dainow has yet to confirm the procurement route and main contractor appointment for the build.

Timeline

1. 2018Council refuses plans to demolish two homes and build 10 units.
2. June 2026Tunbridge Wells Borough Council unanimously approves AOMD's Three Gables scheme.

Why this matters

The unanimous approval of Three Gables illustrates how small-scale developers can overcome suburban anti-development sentiment by abandoning high-density replacement proposals in favour of sensitive backland infill. By retaining original dwellings and inserting tailored, architect-led homes into surplus garden land, the model offers a viable path for sustainable densification across affluent South East commuter settlements without compromising prevailing neighbourhood character.

Questions answered

who designed three gables in langton green

London architecture practice AOMD designed the house, led by founder Michael Dillon, working alongside landscape practice Heard Landscapes.

where is three gables located

The house is situated on a 300-square-metre garden plot in the village of Langton Green, within the borough of Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

who is developing the langton green garden house

London-based developer Caswell&Dainow is developing the project, representing one of its first residential ventures outside London.

what was previously proposed on the site

In 2018, plans to demolish two existing houses and build 10 new properties were refused planning permission by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

what is kissing gables

Kissing Gables is a five-bedroom sister house designed by AOMD, currently being built by Caswell&Dainow in the neighbouring rear garden.

what is the size of three gables

The approved house has a gross internal floor area of 192 square metres arranged over one and a half storeys in an L-shaped layout.

Source: originally reported by Architects' Journal.