Agenda item

(a) Application DC/16/2562/FUL:

(i) Change of use, conversion and extension of existing barns to residential use creating 4 no. dwellings (following demolition of existing modern steel portal framed buildings and grain silos); (ii) reinstatement of existing access to farmhouse; and (iii) 3 no. garages ;and

(b) Application DC/16/2563/LB :

(i) Change of use, conversion and extension of existing barns to residential use creating 4 no. dwellings (following demolition of existing modern steel portal framed buildings and grain silos; (ii) reinstatement of existing access to farmhouse; and (iii) 3 no. garages

at Shardelows Farm, New England Lane, Cowlinge for David Midwood trading as Midwood Farms

Report    DEV/SE/17/10

(a) Application DC/16/2562/FUL : (i) Change of use, conversion and extension of existing barns (following demolition of existing modern steel portal framed buildings and grain silos); (ii) reinstatement of existing access to farmhouse; and (iii) 3 no. garages ; and

(b) Application DC/16/2563/LB : (i) Change of use, conversion and extension of existing barns (following demolition of existing modern steel portal framed buildings and grain silos); (ii) reinstatement of existing access to farmhouse; and (iii) 3 no.

garages

at Shardelows Farm, New England Lane, Cowlinge for David Midwood trading as Midwood Farms.

This application was required under the delegation arrangements to be considered by the Committee because the applicant was the spouse of an Elected Member of the Council.

The Officer presenting the report, Penny Mills, was thanked for the concise way the issues involved with the applications had been put to the Committee and then summarised comprehensively by her.

Officers reported that in addition to the demolition of the existing modern agricultural structures at the application site the proposal also involved the removal of a small portion of the listed building and a single storey building attached to the barns which better revealed the significance of the principal building. Officers felt the modern extension was acceptable since it would allow for the proposed window insertions to be provided with minimal harm to the historic fabric and would allow natural light into the building which was currently without fenestration.

In response to Members’ questions Officers advised as follows :

(a) the Listed Building status of the barns precluded an application coming forward under the Prior Approval Notification process. In the normal way the applications would have been decided under Officer Delegated authority but in this case  because the applicant was the husband of a Councillor they required decision by the Committee;

(b) the proposed extension would provide kitchen and living accommodation for two of the dwellings with the  bedrooms and bathrooms being located within the existing barn structure. The basis for this arrangement was  that the extension as designed would provide an airier and lighter  kitchen facility which would be appropriate for modern living. An alternative method of achieving this would be with a corridor or link arrangement but in the view of Officers the proposed scheme would have  a less detrimental effect in visual terms and upon the historic fabric.  Officers were satisfied that the extension would not be visually intrusive with only the slate roof and uppermost brick courses of the existing building being seen from New England Lane;

(c) whilst there were currently commercial uses associated with the application site these would be discontinued if planning permission and listed building consent were granted; and

(d) whilst in the case of proposals to change the use of redundant agricultural buildings it was usual for evidence to be produced that a marketing exercise had been carried out with negative results it was not a requirement of the relevant policy. In this instance the applicant had produced information in support of the applications which indicated the difficulties he had in identifying any alternative economic use for the buildings.

The Committee in considering the applications accepted that the Heritage

benefits of the proposed conversion outweighed  other policy considerations. The majority of Members were also of the view that the proposed extension had been designed sympathetically and respected the integrity of the historic barn building.

Decision

(a) Application DC/16/2562/FUL – Planning permission be granted; and

(b) Application DC/16/2563/LB  - Listed Building Consent be granted