The family owners of a popular country estate near Faversham have hired leading architects from Grand Designs to help create a “truly outstanding” eco-friendly house.

They want to build a new ridged-roof home in the grounds of a historic walled garden on the edge of Mount Ephraim, in Hernhill.

The garden has been unused for a number of years, but plans have now been drawn up to reimagine and repurpose the site.

Greg and Jenny Wallis - immediate family to the owners of Mount Ephraim - have brought on board Hawkes Architecture to help secure planning permission for their bold scheme.

Richard Hawkes, the firm’s director, appeared on Channel 4’s Grand Designs in 2009 as he built his award-winning home in Staplehurst.

Now, he has devised the plans for the walled garden off Staple Street.

Hawkes Architecture specialises in designing projects which adhere to government planning legislation allowing new-builds in sensitive rural areas.

The stringent clause states that a new house has to be an “exceptional” piece of architecture in order to be rubber-stamped.

Therefore in an effort to win over Swale Borough Council, the designers for the Hernhill scheme have submitted hundreds of pages detailing their lengthy thought processes.

The project - which has taken two years to plan - will see the garden replanted and a new one-storey house built.

The four-bed property is designed to be highly sustainable - “addressing the entire lifetime energy impact associated with living in the countryside,” say developers.

Planning documents say it will “go far further than simply zero carbon”.

“As keen gardeners, Greg and Jenny are excited to bring back to life the walled garden that has stood unused for much of its recent history,” the design and access statement reads.

“This plan presents an exciting opportunity to create a vibrant family home of exceptional quality set within an enhanced landscape on the edge of the estate and in close proximity to their family and friends.

“The architecture of this proposal is undoubtedly of very high quality, has been designed with flair and imagination and the form is carefully and skilfully conceived.

“It is a considered building that reflects the client’s needs and their high aspirations.

“Its design is sensitive to the context but also challenges and explores the built form and the use of traditional and modern materials.

“This is pioneering and will undoubtedly prompt discussion and debate about how contemporary buildings can successfully integrate into historic landscapes.”