New Ings Farm, Hellifield Road, Bolton by Bowland Lancashire
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New Ings Farm, Hellifield Road, Bolton By Bowland Lancashire. BB7 4LU. Conversion of barn to two new dwellings including erection of garages and gardens and installation of new sewage treatment plant. LPA reference 3/2018/0079 Planning Appeal Statement May 2018 Judith Douglas BSc (Hons), Dip TP, MRTPI 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH Telephone: 01200 425051 Mobile: 07729 302644 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jdouglastownplanning.co.uk Page 1 of 10 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 Appeal Statement New Ings Farm, Hellifield Road, Bolton By Bowland BB7 4LU May 2018 APPEAL UNDER SECTION 78 OF THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 BY MRS M ALEXANDER AGAINST THE REFUSAL OF RIBBLE VALLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL TO GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION FOR THE CONVERSION OF A BARN TO TWO DWELLINGS, CREATION OF GARAGES AND GARDEN AND INSTALLATION OF NEW SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. AT NEW INGS FARM, HELLIFIELD ROAD, BOLTON BY BOWLAND, BB7 4LU. GROUNDS OF APPEAL STATEMENT 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The application that is the subject of this appeal was validated by Ribble Valley Borough Council on the 1st February 2018 and given the reference number 3/2018/0079P. The application sought full planning permission to convert a barn to two dwellings. 1.2 The Local Planning Authority refused to grant planning permission on the 19th March 2018 for the three reasons given on the decision notice. The main issues on this appeal are: • Whether or not the barn would be suitable for conversion, having particular regard to its location and the development strategy for the area; • The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the agricultural buildings and the surrounding area; and • Highway safety 1.3 This statement describes the site and its surroundings and the relevant planning guidance. The planning issues will be discussed before arriving at the conclusion that the proposed development accords with the development plan and national planning policy. Consequently, it is concluded that the appeal should be allowed. 2.0 APPEAL SITE AND SURROUNDINGS 2.1 The site is located to the north of the village of Bolton By Bowland with access off Hellifield Road along an unadopted road. The access road is approximately 1km in length and serves four dwellings Fox Ghyll, Park Nook, Eller Head, and New Ing Farm all of which are positioned close to the road. Bolton By Bowland is a defined settlement in the adopted Ribble Valley Districtwide Local Plan (RVDLP). The site and the surrounding area is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the RVDLP. Page 2 of 10 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 Appeal Statement New Ings Farm, Hellifield Road, Bolton By Bowland BB7 4LU May 2018 2.2 There are no public footpaths or adopted roads close to the application site. The nearest road is approximately 470m to the west. This is Settle Road which runs in a northerly direction towards Settle from Bolton By Bowland. There is a public bridleway (Monubent Lane) approximately 500m to the north of the site which runs east west between Hellifield Road and Settle Road. 2.3 The landscape around the appeal site is mostly grazing land where the field boundaries are defined by hedges and trees. Between the appeal site and Settle Road is New Ing Wood which follows the course of Skirden Beck. The route of the bridleway to the north of the site has substantial hedges and trees along its boundary. 2.4 The buildings on the appeal site form part of an historic farmstead group. The historic farmstead includes the farmhouse at the south-east end of the group with a barn range facing east onto a yard, with a detached, single storey farm building on the east side of the yard. 3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The Development Plan for the purposes of this appeal comprises the Core Strategy 2008- 2028 A Local Plan for Ribble Valley and Ribble Valley Districtwide Local Plan (RVDLP) adopted and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (2012). The following policies of the Core Strategy are relevant to this appeal: • Key Statement EN2 (Landscape) - The landscape character of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will be protected, conserved and enhanced. • Key Statement EN5 (Heritage Assets) – expects there will be a presumption in favour of the conservation and enhancement of the significance of heritage assets and their settings. • Policy DMG1 (General Considerations) – sets out various criteria to be considered in assessing planning applications, including a high standard of building design, proposed development being sympathetic to existing land uses, highway safety and not adversely affecting the amenities of the area. • Policy DMG2 (Strategic Considerations) – expects development to be in accordance with the Development Strategy and that development proposals in defined settlements should consolidate, expand or round-off development so that it is closely related to the main built up areas, ensuring this is appropriate to the scale of, and in keeping with, the existing settlement. Page 3 of 10 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 Appeal Statement New Ings Farm, Hellifield Road, Bolton By Bowland BB7 4LU May 2018 The policy goes on to indicate that within the open countryside, development will be required to be in keeping with the character of the landscape and acknowledge the special qualities of the area by virtue of its size, design, use of materials, landscaping and siting. It also indicates that where possible, new development should be accommodated through the re-use of existing buildings, which in most cases is more appropriate than new build. • Policy DMG3 (Transport and Mobility) - Will take into account the availability of public transport • Policy DME4 (Protecting Heritage Assets) – Seeks positive improvements in the quality of the historic environment. • Policy DMH3 (Dwellings in the Open Countryside and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) – Within areas defined as open countryside or AONB, residential development will be limited to, amongst other things, the appropriate conversion of buildings to dwellings providing they are suitably located. Landscape, i.e., forms part of an already group of buildings and there need be no unnecessary expenditure by public authorities and utilities on the provision of infrastructure. • Policy DMH4 (The Conversion of Barns and other buildings to dwellings) – Permission will be granted for the conversion of buildings to dwellings where the building is not isolated in the landscape, i.e., forms part of an already group of buildings and there need be no unnecessary expenditure by public authorities and utilities on the provision of infrastructure. Ribble Valley Districtwide Local Plan (RVDLP) 3.2 The site is shown to be outside a settlement boundary and within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the RVDWLP. National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 3.3 The NPPF is a statement of Government policy in relation to planning matters nationally. Council’s Development Plans must accord with the general principles detailed in the NPPF and it is a material consideration in the determination of all planning applications. 3.4 The NPPF does not change the statutory status of the development plan as the starting point for decision making. It states that development in accordance with an up to date Local Plan should be approved, and proposed development that conflicts should be refused unless material considerations indicate otherwise. 3.5 Section 6 - Delivering a wide choice of high quality homes of the NPPF, relates to sustainable development in rural areas. At paragraph 55, it states that in special circumstances isolated homes in the countryside can be acceptable such as where “development would represent Page 4 of 10 Registered Office: 90 Pimlico Road, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2AH. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 Appeal Statement New Ings Farm, Hellifield Road, Bolton By Bowland BB7 4LU May 2018 the optimal viable use of a heritage asset” or “where the development would re-use redundant or disused buildings and lead to an enhancement to the immediate setting” The following paragraph was quoted in the Council’s decision: Section 11 of the NPPF relates to conserving and enhancing the natural environment design. Paragraph 115 states ‘Great weight should be given to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty. The Conservation of wildlife and cultural heritage are important considerations in all the areas and should be given great weight in National Parks and the Broads” 4.0 PLANNING APPRAISAL Location of development 4.1 New Ings Farm consists of the farmhouse with a range of barns to the northwest and a detached, single storey farm building on the east side of the yard. The buildings form a group and are visually and physically associated. The nearest settlement is Bolton By Bowland and the proposed development is situated in the Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). 4.2 The Ribble Valley Core Strategy Policy DMG2 states that, amongst other things, where possible new development should be accommodated through the re-use of existing buildings. Core Strategy Policy DMH3 also limits new residential development in the open countryside to the appropriate conversion of buildings providing they are suitability located and in keeping with their surroundings. This reflects the development strategy for the area, which seeks to focus the majority of new housing to principle settlements and villages. It is also broadly consistent with the NPPF and in particular paragraph 55. 4.3 It is clear from policies DMG2, DHM3 and paragraph 55 of the NPPF that the conversion of barns to dwellings is acceptable, even if the location of the barn is remote from the nearest settlement.