Planning Application Details

West Hagbourne is one of the villages in the district where new residential development will not be permitted because the village has no services or facilities to accommodate growth. New residential development within the village would be contrary to Policy H6 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan.

The proposal would be contrary to the provisions of Policy E8 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan which allows for the re-use of rural buildings subject to strict criteria. In this case, the proposal to convert the building would be tantamount to the erection of a new building because the building lacks foundations, the works involved in the conversion would seriously erode the character and setting of the building, the separate occupation of the building would be unneighbourly and other uses have not been explored and found to be unacceptable in planning terms. In this case, the building has a use for ancillary purposes to ivy Farmhouse which has less impact on the fabric and character of the building and the setting of the listed building and no previous planning applications have been submitted to explore other uses. As such, the proposal is contrary to Policies G2 and E8 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan.

The subdivision of the plot and the resulting changes to the barn and proposed garden would domesticate the character of the barn and its surroundings, detracting from the rural character and setting of the listed farmhouse and the curtilage listed building and the character and appearance of the West Hagbourne Conservation Area. As such, the proposal would be contrary to Policies G2, C4, CON3, CON4, CON5 and CON7 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan and to the advice contained in PPG15 'Planning and the Historic Environment'.

That having regard to the details of the scheme, which includes the blocking up of existing openings, provision of new openings and new floors the proposal to convert the barn to a dwelling would detract from the special architectural and historic interest of the barn, which is a curtilage listed building and the character and appearance of the West Hagbourne Conservation Area. As such the proposal would be contrary to Policies G2, CON3, CON4 and CON7 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan and to the advice contained in PPG15 'Planning and the Historic Environment'.

That having regard to the close proximity of the barn to Ivy Farmhouse and to the provision of windows on the west elevation, albeit obscure glazed) the proposal would lead to a feeling of being overlooked resulting in an unneighbourly form of development that would detract from the residential amenity of the occupants of Ivy Farmhouse. As such the proposal would be contrary to Policy E8 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan.

That the bat mitigation measures submitted with the application fail to provide a suitable habitat for roosting bats contrary to Policy C8 of the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan.