Planning: Holiday home conversion refused and plans to convert shed into houses

Every week, hundreds of planning applications come before Cornwall Council’s planning department, trying to get approval for various plans in the Duchy itself, with some relating to Holsworthy being dealt with by Torridge District Council.

These plans can cover a number of different considerations – from permission to replace windows or listed building approval, to large building developments or changing the use of a building, for example from an office to a cafe or flats.

Within this large and often complex system, there are a number of formats in which planning advice and approval can be sought.

These range from full applications where all the details comprising a proposed development or work to a building are submitted, to reference applications where further details have yet to be confirmed, for example a general application with matters reserved for aspect may not confirm the final proposed development, but rather seek permission in principle.

An example of this is one for outline permission for 20 dwellings on land with matters reserved for layout and scale; reserved matters would require additional permission later for their inclusion.

Other types of applications include requests for pre-application advice, where potential developers often send outline proposals to a local authority to ascertain whether or not they are likely to get support before submitting a planning application.

The vast majority of applications are decided by planning officers employed by a local authority with ‘delegated powers’, meaning they do so on behalf of their employer, however, some applications are ‘called in’ by local councilors to be discussed at a strategic area. planning committee meeting, meaning the final decision rests with a committee of advisors.

PA24/01331: PROPOSALS to convert a farm building into holiday homes have been refused by Cornwall Council’s planning department.

Cornwall Council received an application from Mr and Mrs Swann regarding proposals to convert the building into a holiday destination at Wainies Brook, Higher Crackington, Bude.

In their planning agent submission to the local authority, the couple, who currently live in the south east of England, said: ‘The proposal is for the change of use of a small farm building which has historically been used as a small dairy on the outskirts the village of Higher Crackington. The application is a resubmission of a previous application with revisions to address local and consultant concerns.

“The site is situated in a sustainable location on the edge of the village. It is located 0.2 miles or a four minute walk from the village shop and the same distance from the village center bus stop.

“Using the building for this transformation removes applicants from occupying an existing home in the town as a holiday destination. It also involves the reuse of an existing building in accordance with Cornwall Council policy and planning guidelines.

“There were concerns with the previous application as to whether or not the building was worth retaining. Since then, applicants have undertaken research into the building’s history, speaking to the previous owners, whose family farmed the land for many years. They also obtained historical mapping to determine when the property was built and research was conducted with local historians. The building was constructed shortly after the end of World War II and was previously used as a dairy building. The animal troughs are integrated into the building and the outer courtyard and they still remain. The building continued to be used in conjunction with the agricultural land until the plaintiffs purchased the property. It is therefore considered to be part of the social history of the area and should be retained.

“There were previous concerns about the design of the proposed conversion due to the fact that it included changes to the original structure of the building and was not considered to be consistent with the landscape character of the AONB.

“In response to this, AONB planning guidance and Cornwall Design Guidance were considered. The building was designed to incorporate exterior materials commonly found on agricultural buildings in the area to include vertical timber cladding, corrugated metal roofing sheets, galvanized stormwater fixtures and granite and stone sets on the driveway , parking area and driveway.

“There were concerns about the prominence of the building in the AONB landscape. A landscape and visual impact assessment has been undertaken and a comprehensive landscape plan for the site has been incorporated into the proposal to ensure landscape impact is minimized and site biodiversity is enhanced. In response to this, the parking area has been moved away from the front of the property to ensure reduced impact on the site. A new Cornish bank is also proposed to protect the building from the road. A bin and equipment storage area has been added to retain household items and prevent any negative impact on the AONB in ​​this regard.

In refusing the application, Cornwall Council told the applicants: “The proposal to develop the site for holiday rental purposes, due to the site’s rural location, divorced from nearby services, amenities and facilities would perpetuate over-reliance of private vehicle and unsustainable traffic movements. The proposal will introduce a sense of domesticity by adding residential fittings and alterations to the building itself.

“The introduction of this holiday unit would not result in an immediate improvement to the Cornish landscape and in the absence of any special circumstances justifying development in this rural location, the proposal is not a sustainable development and is considered to be detrimental to character. of the countryside and conflicts with the Council’s spatial strategy for siting new development.”

PA24/02917: PERMISSION not required to convert farm style barn into two dwellings on land in North Petherwin.

This is the verdict of Cornwall Council in its response to Ms Colwill, who made the application regarding land adjacent to Nescott Farm, North Petherwin, Launceston.

She applied to the local authority to see if planning permission would be required to convert the barn under permitted development rights. However, in its reply, the authority said that it is allowed and therefore no application is required.

Among its considerations, the authority’s planning adviser noted: “While it is noted that the change of use of the building may result in more frequent and possibly increased noise levels, due to the noise levels expected from this type of development, it is not considered that the proposal would be unacceptable in terms of noise impact. This would also be mitigated by removing the agricultural use of the building and subsequently the noise levels associated with that use.

“It is noted that the proposed homes do not have a particularly high-quality design and contain a number of openings. However, the building itself is existing and therefore the shape of the building will remain largely the same and would not be on a larger scale. Accordingly, it is not considered that the extent of the glazing and the external appearance of the proposed dwellings is unacceptable.”

However, two conditions were stipulated within the planned works, namely that the recommendations of a bat survey be followed and that before the two dwellings are occupied, the adjacent pole barn be removed in its entirety as part of the approved works.

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