We were very pleased to receive news from the Planning Inspectorate that our proposal to create 7 new holiday homes in a modern agricultural building at Hollington, Staffordshire had been allowed at appeal.
Lodgedale Farm is a 100+ acre farm situated in rolling countryside not far from Alton Towers theme park. We have a long standing relationship with the owners of the farm, having helped them with various agricultural and equestrian developments over the last 20 years. We originally obtained permission for the building in question back in 2013 when it was needed for lambing and hay storage. However as part of ongoing diversification plans the owners no longer need the building for this purpose and wish to redevelop it for holiday accommodation.
Class Q Permitted development rights allow such buildings to be converted to C3 residential use -which can include holiday homes- subject to certain criteria.
Despite our careful design approach to retain and improve the building’s agricultural character, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council resolved to refuse the class Q application on the grounds that the design and external appearance of the building would be unacceptable.
We argued in our appeal that the governments permitted development legislation clearly allows for modern steel buildings to be converted. We argued that our design approach -which included reusing existing openings and recessing glazing behind a 3.3 metre overhang, would retain and enhance the character of the building. The inspector agreed, concluding that the development would “not result in an unacceptably prominent or intrusive domestic feature” and “would not be harmful to the character and appearance of the area”.
We submit many class Q prior notification applications in many different council areas and have noticed that different councils tend to have a different approach, despite there only being one UK-wide Class Q rule book. This is because certain criteria can still be considered when assessing such applications, and the rules are open to interpretation. We believe that it is really important therefore that the nuances of the legislation are understood when making a Class Q application, and that the preferred approach of the particular Council in question is appreciated. The appeal at Lodgedale Farm also serves to demonstrate that despite being permitted development good architecture is still very important. Our design approach was a deciding factor in this appeal, and we submitted 3D visuals to the inspectorate to demonstrate our case.
We look forward to working with our clients at Lodgedale Farm on this and other projects in the future.
We are well versed in in securing planning permission for rural development, be this obtaining for our clients the home in the countryside that they’ve always dreamed of, or a larger farm masterplanning or diversification project.
If you or your client have a farm building -modern or traditional- which may be eligible for conversion to residential accommodation, please contact us and we would be happy to advise you, 01332 347371 or email enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk
Jon Millhouse, Director – Chartered Town Planner, Planning & Design Practice