Decision details

Members had visited the site on the previous day.

The officer stated that accommodation for the applicant’s son was needed but that there were buildings nearer to the farmhouse that would better meet this need.

The following spoke under the Authority’s Public Participation Scheme:

·         Cllr Mrs G Heath, Authority Member, in support as the applicant’s district and county councillor.

Following debate, Members were minded to approve the application on the basis that the buildings nearer to the farmhouse were not suitable for conversion, for reasons that had been apparent during the site visit. They were already in use for farm purposes which would have to be relocated as a consequence of conversion into a dwelling. Members also perceived no harm to the landscape arising out of the barn conversion and were satisfied that the use of the proposed dwelling and its domestic paraphernalia could be controlled by conditions and a legal agreement.

he Director of Planning advised that Standing Order 1.48 applied and that whilst the proposal to approve did not constitute a departure from policy, it was contrary to the officer recommendation, and a final decision should be deferred to the following meeting so that a section 106  legal agreement and detailed conditions could be brought back to Committee with a recommendation for approval.

RESOLVED:

That under the Authority’s Standing Order no. 1.48, a further report setting out conditions and the terms of a legal agreement shall be brought to the next meeting of the planning committee for final determination with a recommendation for approval.