Conversion of former agricultural buildings to form 2 annexes

Conversion of former agricultural buildings to form 2 annexes

Please refer to the late material circulated before the start of the meeting

Principal Planning Officer, Emma Norgate, referred to the late material and advised members that information in respect of Annexe A had been deleted and that the application now related to Annexe B only. In spite of the change, the recommendation remained one of refusal on the basis that the building had not been marketed for commercial use for an appropriate period of time, (a minimum of one year).

Public speaking

Speaking in support of the application, Ben Pearce, planning consultant from Land Development and Planning Consultants Ltd, made the following statement:

As members will be aware from the late observations, the proposals relating to Building A have been withdrawn from the scheme.  Members are asked to consider the application in its amended form, namely, the conversion of Building B to form a residential Annexe for occupation ancillary to the dwelling known as Longcroft. Members will know from their site visit that Building B lies within the curtilage of the main dwelling house.  Your officer’s report confirms that the structure of the building is capable of the proposed conversion and the scale of the scheme meets with the expectations of the Authority for ancillary residential accommodation. Furthermore I would confirm the applicant’s willingness to accept either a planning condition or legal agreement that would limit the use of the building as a residential Annexe and prevent sale of the Annexe separately from the main dwelling house. However, the authority has upheld the recommendation to refuse planning consent on grounds that the building has not been marketed for an alternative commercial use.  This would appear inconsistent with previously approved Annexe applications at Upleadon Court, Newent, Valley View, Longhope, Handlow House, Churcham and Cuckoo Patch, Mitcheldean. None of these conversions of buildings to form residential annexes required a marketing exercise for alternative commercial uses.   This position is not considered sustainable to the application now before members. The conversion of the building will enable the applicant’s mother to live close to the family where care and support can be provided in the future.  This is an entirely appropriate use of an outbuilding and I would respectfully ask that members support this application without the need for a marketing exercise.

Committee consideration

Councillor Norman Stephens said that, following the withdrawal of Annexe A, he could see no reason why Annexe B should not be granted permission. He said that he had never heard of the need to undertake a marketing exercise on annexed buildings and questioned why this requirement formed part of the application process. Other members also agreed with this perspective. Councillor Gabriella Kirkpatrick, said that, provided the building was tied to the ownership of the farm, she felt that it would be perfectly acceptable to support the development.

Vote

Councillor Norman Stephens proposed that the revised application be approved and Councillor Gabriella Kirkpatrick seconded the proposal. The reasons suggested for approving the application included, that the development would put good use to the building and that there were no material alterations to the external appearance of the building. Councillor Stephens suggested that officers impose standard conditions, including a condition to tie the property to the ownership of the farm. A recorded vote was taken and members,

RESOLVED to grant the application planning permission, (as revised by the late material), subject to appropriate conditions, including a condition to tie the occupancy of the building to the existing house.

For (13)

Councillors James Bevan, Gethyn Davies, Frankie Evans, Jackie Fraser, Terry Glastonbury, Julia Gooch, Brian Jones, Gabriella Kirkpatrick, Graham Morgan, Norman Stephens, Arthur Thomas, David Thompson and Roger Yeates.

Against (2)

Councillors Val Hobman and Lynn Sterry

Abstentions (0)