Erection of a detached dwelling to replace farmhouse destroyed by fire

Erection of a detached dwelling to replace farmhouse destroyed by fire

Please refer to the late material circulated prior to the meeting

Development Control Manager, Clive Reynolds, referred to the late material and an update on the dimensions of the proposed dwelling. The Development Control Manager reminded members that the Site Inspection Panel had visited this site and that the proposal was an application for a replacement of a fire damaged dwelling. He said that the key issues for the committee to consider were whether or not the proposed replacement dwelling was in keeping with its surroundings, whether it adversely impacted upon the adjoining bungalow and whether the scale and design of the dwelling was acceptable. He said that the dwelling was substantially larger than the existing house and had the appearance of a pair of semi-detached properties. The recommendation was therefore one of refusal as per the schedule of applications.

Public speaking

Speaking as one of the sons of the owner of the site, the speaker said that the applicants had traded as farmers at the site for the past 30 years. He said that both he and his brother had lived at the farm since they were born and were responsible for the majority of the work at the farm, including looking after a beef suckler herd and a flock of breeding ewes. The speaker said that the constant attention required when calving and lambing warranted a farmhouse at the site to provide basic, modern, living standards for the family and to provide an on-site working environment that would allow the family to store and remove work clothes before and after use. A large farm office would also be required to manage the increased amount of paper work involved in running the business. As working adults at the farm, the speaker said that both he and his brother hoped to have an element of privacy from their parents, who were both of retirement age, hence the need for space and the proposed number of bedrooms at the property. Furthermore, there was a need for security at the site, particularly with the number of recent thefts at the property. The speaker said that the adjacent bungalow at the site did not form part of Wilderness Farm, was totally separate and had different ownership and deeds. He said that the bungalow was a completely unsuitable dwelling for everyday farming needs and that all the applicant wanted to do was to re-build the original farmhouse at Wilderness Farm, tragically burnt down in August last year.

Ward member, Councillor Ian Whitmore, said that Wilderness Farm was a large farm to manage and that he understood the need to replace the farmhouse at the site. He said that it made perfect sense to rebuild the original farmhouse, particularly in view of the need to accommodate and sustain a large working family.

Committee consideration

Councillor Norman Stephens referred to comparisons with this application and a similar application that had been considered by the committee earlier in the year. Councillor Stephens said that he could not distinguish any significant differences between this and the other application. Furthermore, there were no objections from county highways or from the parish council. On this basis, Councillor Norman Stephens proposed that the application be granted planning permission and Councillor Frankie Evans seconded the proposal.

The majority of committee members supported the application based on the need to replace the farmhouse and allow the applicant and his family to manage the farm effectively and for security reasons. Responding to questions, Development Control Manager, Clive Reynolds, said that the applicant had not based his proposals on agricultural need and that the committee should consider the application as a replacement building. Furthermore, there were significant differences between this and the application referred to earlier by Councillor Stephens, in that the previous application represented farm diversification and that the applicant had demonstrated he could build the extension to the original property under permitted development rights to the same scale as the proposed replacement dwelling; which was not the case with the current application.

Councillor Philip Burford outlined the issues considered in evaluating the application and said that he believed the principle of the development was quite evident. Furthermore, he believed the proposed dwelling, (due to the surrounding trees and different levels to the adjacent property), would create no detrimental visual impact. Considered as a whole, Councillor Burford said that he believed the proposals were acceptable and would be supporting the application.

Councillor Lynn Sterry questioned the use of the farmhouse before it had been destroyed by fire the previous year. She was informed that the former farmhouse was last inhabited in 1998 and had only been used as domestic storage and a farm office since that time.

Vote

Earlier in the meeting, Councillor Norman Stephens proposed that the application be granted consent as sustainable development and in support of rural business. Councillor Frankie Evans seconded the proposal. Responding to questions, Group Manager for Planning and Housing, Peter Williams, said that it was inappropriate to impose a condition restricting the ownership of the farmhouse to the farm and reminded members that the application was for a replacement dwelling and had not been based on essential agricultural need.

Development Control Manager, Clive Reynolds, informed the committee that, should planning permission be granted, it would be advisable to consider a contaminated land condition, taking into account the council’s Environmental Health Officer’s concerns about the history of the site and the possible contamination of the land resulting from the recent fire. This was accepted and it was agreed that officers apply standard conditions to the planning permission. A recorded vote was taken and members,

RESOLVED to grant the application planning permission, with delegated authority to the Group Manager for Planning and Housing to suggest appropriate conditions.

For (8)

Councillors James Bevan, Philip Burford, Frankie Evans, Jackie Fraser, Brian Jones, Norman Stephens, Arthur Thomas and Roger Yeates

Against (7)

Councillors Gethyn Davies, Terry Glastonbury, Val Hobman, Gabriella Kirkpatrick, Di Martin, Graham Morgan and Lynn Sterry

Abstentions (0)