Green Belt homes would breach council's policy, application admits
New challenge to Rotherham’s lack of land for housing
Two former farm barns could be converted to provide new homes, if planners approve of the proposals.
The buildings are in Common Lane, Thurcroft, Rotherham, and have been used as domestic outbuildings, for a gym and storage, in the era which post-dates their farming use.
The site is in the Green Belt and the two buildings are close to an existing house on the site, which also incorporates land used for farming.
A planning application to Rotherham Council states the barns have been in ancillary residential use for more than a decade, meaning they are now in lawful residential use, it is said.
Conversion work began in 2015 and was completed the following Spring, planning documents state.
However, the application is in conflict with Rotherham Council’s Local Plan, which dictates the policy for house-building in rural areas.
The council wants rural developments to be in areas where sustainable transport is viable for residents.
The application concedes that is not the case, for the proposed barn conversions, with an expectation that residents would have to rely on private cars, though it also argues the impact of that would not outweigh the benefits of the development.
Under the planning application, each building would have accommodation over a single storey, with each accommodating three bedrooms.
The appearance of the buildings would be changed with the introduction of zinc cladding externally, with black doors and windows.
It is argued that using the existing buildings as homes would not harm the openness of the Green Belt, though it is accepted new ground surfacing would be needed, for vehicle access and parking, along with the creation of domestic garden space.
Parking spaces have been planned between the barns to prevent encroaching on the Green Belt, beyond the land already occupied.
The barns have an access track, leading to Common Lane, which is not share with the existing property on site.
Application documents also raise the issue that Rotherham Council can only demonstrate a 4.41 year supply of land for housing development, where rules set a lowest figure of five years - a situation which makes it more difficult for authorities to reject planning applications.