strategic approach

Priesty Fields

Client

Britannia Healthcare

Location

Congleton, UK

Project Type

Healthcare

A substantial assisted living facility delivered within a constrained, low-rise residential and conservation setting, the Priesty Fields care home presented a complex set of design and planning challenges requiring a highly coordinated approach. Sensitive massing, considered materiality, and careful site planning ensured the scheme respected its established neighbourhood context and adjacent heritage assets, while environmental constraints including flood risk and level changes were fully integrated into the design strategy. Now operational, Priesty Fields serves as a vital community asset — delivering high-quality assisted living in a well-connected location and standing as a sensitively integrated addition to the local townscape.

Strategic Approach

In response to the delivery of a substantial healthcare facility within a constrained, low-rise residential setting, the design strategy prioritised sensitivity, coordination, and buildability from the outset. Careful site planning addressed the limited access for construction traffic, with logistics and phasing strategies developed to minimise disruption to neighbouring properties and surrounding streets. The scheme responded to its context—particularly adjacent heritage assets—through considered massing, scale, and material choices that respect the established character of the area.

Environmental constraints, including flood risk and challenging level changes, were integrated into the design approach, shaping the building footprint and landscape strategy to maximise the usable site area while ensuring resilience and compliance. Throughout the process, proactive engagement with multiple stakeholders was central to the project’s success, fostering collaboration, addressing concerns early, and building the consensus required to deliver a complex development within a highly sensitive location.

Results and Effect

The scheme delivered a highly considered and policy-compliant solution within a constrained conservation setting, successfully overcoming earlier planning challenges and securing the confidence of planners and conservation officers. Through detailed analysis of local restrictions and the use of an immersive, fully navigable 3D model, stakeholders—including planners, investors, and future operators—were able to clearly understand both the architectural response and its relationship to the sloping site and established street scene. This level of clarity and engagement played a key role in unlocking planning consent and advancing the project.
The design places a strong emphasis on accessibility and quality of life, exceeding industry standards for resident accommodation and supporting comfortable, independent living. The use of digital modelling also enabled early engagement with end users, allowing the operator to refine the facility in response to real needs while confidently presenting the scheme to investors. As a result, the completed Priesty Fields care home now operates as a vital community asset—providing high-quality assisted living in a well-connected location, and reinforcing its role as an integral and sensitively integrated addition to the townscape.