CSJ PLANNING and CSJ BROOKE SMITH

Full planning permission and listed building consent were granted on 14^th September 2009 for the conversion of anagricultural barn in the open countryside in South Gloucestershire to provide ancillary residential accommodationwith associated works.

The scheme proposed a sensitive adaption of the barn, preserving the character of the barn and retaining the majority of historicfeatures.  

The approvals followed a lengthy pre-application enquiry and a negative response by South Gloucestershire Council.

The Council had been strongly resistant to the principle of the conversion to residential use on the basis that the barn had not been marketed for employment purposes for a 12 month period.  The Council believed that a business use would be suitable and in the absence of a 12 month marketing campaign, the applicant had not demonstrated that all reasonable attempts had been made tosecure a suitable business use.

The barn had been marketed for a ninth month period for employment use and there was no interest in the property. 

CSJ Planning Consultants argued that a business use would not be appropriate due to inadequate vehicular access to the barn and sub-standard visibility at the junction, together with the proximity of the barn to the main farm house. 

The Council originally argued that the access lane and junction could be improved and disagreed that there would be a loss of privacy and amenity for the occupants of the farm dwelling as a result of a business use of the barn.  The Council subsequently changed their position during the application process, and agreed that improvements to the access and junction would result in harm to the characterand appearance of the countryside as a result of the need to create areas ofhard-landscaping on the fields to provide passing bays along the lane for cars and the significant removal of hedgerow to improve visibility at the junction.