New Forest District Council refuses to allow agricultural barn in Midgham Road, Fordingbridge, to be used as four-bed home
AN application to convert an agricultural barn in the New Forest into a four-bedroom home has been thrown out.
New Forest District Council’s planning committee debated the proposals for The Barn, opposite Lansdowne House in Midgham Road, Fordingbridge, submitted by owner Robert Wilson.
Discussing the application at a meeting last Wednesday, members were told the appearance of the building had evolved over time since it was first erected without planning permission in around 2009 as an open sided steel pole barn with a sheet metal roof.
In September 2020, permission was granted to add brick walls and a metal sheet roof, along with double timber doors in order for the barn to provide dry storage for hay. These alterations, the meeting heard, were not implemented and instead a “significant” number of window and door openings had been added within the brickwork.
The roof of the barn had also been tiled, contrary to the approved details, and white uPVC fascias and soffits had been added to the building. A report to members added: “These unauthorised alterations materially altered the building's appearance and domesticated the building, with the building no longer having the appearance of an agricultural barn.”
Latest plans included a stable and rear garden, as well as a large area of gravel driveway proposed to the front of the dwelling. The applicant wanted to create four bedrooms, each with an en-suite, as well as an additional upstairs bathroom.
On the ground floor, a large sitting room, snug, boot room, toilet, kitchen and dining room were proposed.
The plans were recommended for refusal by Fordingbridge Town Council, which said the proposed development would result in “an isolated dwelling in the countryside, with a domesticated appearance, and would set a precedent for future development”.
A case officer for NFDC recommended the application be refused, stating in the report: “Overall, it is concluded that the proposal would result in an incongruous development in a highly prominent location, which would be harmful to the character and appearance of the countryside by reason of its design and appearance of built form. The proposal would erode the rural character of this location and would harm the character of the countryside.”
Cllr David Hawkins said he supported the refusal, adding: “This strikes me as another ‘we’ll do it our way and not your way’ – there are rules and these have not been followed. Therefore this should be refused and demolished.”
Cllr Philip Dowd added: “This is an example of creep and I think it should be strongly contested. I don’t think it is in keeping and I don’t think it is the best use of an agricultural building, so I will not be supporting it.”
Cllr Malcolm Wade agreed, saying: “We’ve got rules, we’ve got regulations – or we wouldn’t be a planning authority. And clearly this has gone against them.
“This is a no brainer that we should support refusal as we have to protect our environment and follow the rules we set.”