Agenda item

Conversion of part of building adjoining existing dwelling to provide additional living space, and related works, including change of metal cladding to timber, altered fenestration and re-arrangement of external parking.

The committee considered planning application P23/S3949/FUL for the conversion of part of building adjoining existing dwelling to provide additional living space, and related works, including change of metal cladding to timber, altered fenestration and re-arrangement of external parking, on land at Glendale Barn, Glendale Farm, Northend.  

Consultations, representations, policy and guidance, and the site’s planning history were detailed in the officer’s report, which formed part of the agenda pack for the meeting. 

The planning officer introduced the report and highlighted that the application was brought to the committee due to the objection of Watlington Parish Council.

The planning officer informed the committee that site was within the countryside between Northend and Christmas Common and sat within the Chilterns National Landscape. He also noted that the barn was erected over 20 years ago.

The planning officer highlighted that a certificate of lawfulness had been given for the end bay of the barn on the basis that it had been present for more than four years. He noted that the application before the committee was for the extension of that dwelling into the two adjacent bays which were not used for agricultural purposes.

The dwelling was proposed to be entirely contained within the existing barn and included vertical timber cladding and several additional windows, a number of which would be obscured by timber fins. The planning officer believed that the design of the dwelling would not be out of character with the surrounding area.

He also noted that the existing parking arrangements and garden used from the existing dwelling would continue to be used for the proposed application. However, he did indicate that a view of the extension would be possible from the nearby public right of way.

Overall, as the planning officer believed that landscape would not be harmed by the design and form of the building, he recommended that the application be approved.

Gill Bindoff spoke on behalf of Watlington Parish Council, objecting to the application. 

Henry Venners, the agent representing the applicant, spoke in support of the application. 

The committee enquired into the use of the other bays of the barn and the planning officer confirmed that the last bay had been turned into a commercial workshop under permitted development rights, but that the other bays would be retained for the limited agricultural work that continued to be done near the site.

Members asked the planning officer if the applicant could change their windows under permitted development rights and he responded that this was possible, although the scope for them to do this would be limited with the suggested condition for the removal of permitted development rights.

The committee agreed that, in order to properly assess the impact of the proposal on the National Landscape, they wanted to examine the site from the nearby footpath. Therefore, they agreed that the application be deferred in order for a site visit to take place.

A motion, moved and seconded, for a site visit was carried on being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: to defer application P23/S3949/FUL in order for a site visit to be held.