Project Overview
Bell Cornwell has secured prior approval for the conversion of agricultural buildings from agricultural use to five residential dwellings.
Class Q of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)(England)Order) originally came into force on 15th April 2018. It allows conversion of agricultural buildings to residential use under Permitted Development (PD) and following recent amendments in 2018 allows for the provision of up to five residential units.
The proposal involved the conversion of two agricultural barns split into two and three-bed units on the edge of Sherborne St John, Basingstoke.
We successfully demonstrated how the proposal complied with a number of considerations including:
The site was well related to the existing settlement and deemed to be in a suitable location with good access to services and infrastructure. The buildings were designed to be sympathetic to the surrounding countryside with face brickwork and timber clad panels.
Some of the main issues that had to be addressed involved proving to the Council that the site had operated as a commercial agricultural unit. We obtained statutory declarations from the farm manager and business invoices to prove this use.
Close liaison with all technical consultants and dialogue with the Council resulted in a delegated office approval. The proposal allows for a positive regeneration of the site, improving the visual appearance of the buildings and providing new housing for the local community.
