COUNTRY LIFE
coffee
break
Sam Biles in the country
Sam's
countryside
tip!
reading...
Best way to keep
cattle at bay
A
Sam Biles is
Managing
Director of
Country Estate
Agents: www.
bilesandco.co.uk
lways carry a stick if you are crossing
farmland where there are cattle; people
are injured every year by normally docile
bovines.
Often these incidents are provoked by cattle
attacking walkers' dogs. If this happens to you,
let your dog off the lead; it will run off to safety
and the cattle will probably leave you alone
after chasing it off.
Barn conversions brought to life
Sam Biles of Country House estate
agents Biles & Co takes a look at how
recent changes in planning regulations
could bring more houses into the
countryside.
P
ermitted Development Rights
have from April 6 been extended
to allow agricultural barns to be
converted into houses in certain
circumstances.
The aim of this new class of Permitted
Development Rights - Class MB - is to
provide new dwellings in rural areas.
Not all areas have these new rights;
for example all the Island’s Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty is excluded.
The rights only cover existing structures no porches, conservatories or extensions
would be allowed without full planning
consent. Nothing can extend beyond the
footprint of the building.
The use of the building must be
agricultural and be part of an established
agricultural unit. No more than
three dwellings are permitted on the
agricultural unit and the cumulative
floor space to be changed to residential
use must not exceed 450 square metres. If
the unit is tenanted the change of use is
not permitted unless both landlord and
tenant have expressly agreed. There are
other criteria that must be satisfied.
If, after exhaustive analysis of the full
criteria in the Statutory Instrument
(2014 No. 564) which brings these
rights forward, an owner is satisfied that
he has a suitable candidate building
then the process will be to submit a
Prior Notification application to the
Authority, as they will need to assess
the implications of the development on
Highways, Noise, Contamination and
Flooding amongst other factors. In theory,
if no issues are raised, after 57 days from
the date that the Authority was notified
the development can proceed provided it
is then commenced within three years.
In practice Authorities may resist
consents for modern, as opposed to
period, farm buildings to become houses
and there are ‘catch alls’ which may be
used by them to limit the amount of
development permitted under these new
rules. A requirement for the Authority
to approve the design or external
appearance of the building and wording
which allows them to assess whether the
location or siting of the building makes it
‘otherwise impractical or undesirable’ for
the change of use to occur.
Some people will deplore the spread
of development into the countryside;
others will welcome the economic effects
and be pleased that old buildings are
being preserved and given a new lease
of life. I hope that any buildings that are
converted under these new rules are done
so sympathetically, with high quality
materials and to good standards of design
which will enhance the countryside.
There are very few homes as appealing as
a good barn conversion and very few as
offensive as a bad one!
This article cannot cover all the relevant
points and anyone seeking to explore the
possibilities further is advised to consult
a suitably qualified professional or the
Local Planning Authority.
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