PLANNING permission is being sought to knock down a barn and build a house at Lake Farm near Stockleigh Pomeroy.

Debbie Falvey wants to demolish the two-storey agricultural building and erect a one-storey two-bedroom home in its place.

The new house would have brick plinth and timber-clad walls, a zinc roof and triple-glazed anthracite composite windows. It would have parking space for two cars.

Inside, it would have an open-plan kitchen-diner and living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. The floor area would be 83.1 square metres.

Ms Falvey already has permission to convert two barns at Lake Farm into homes, including the one she now wants to knock down, under “Class Q” of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015. Class Q allows the conversion of agricultural buildings into homes without the need for a full planning application.

She still plans to convert the second barn, but the first would be replaced with the new house she is seeking permission to build.

“The proposed scheme presented is considerably better in terms of the design, appearance and relationship with the rural surroundings than would be achievable through the lawful conversion under Class Q,” planning documents argue.

“Rather than utilising the existing building (barn one), it is felt that the form of the development can rather be greatly improved upon as a form of betterment.

“The replacement dwelling utilises the position of the land just to the east of the existing agricultural barn on site but whilst still remaining contained within the agricultural yard boundary, with the proposed dwelling to appear far less visually intrusive than by retaining the barn adjacent to the public highway.

“The proposed dwelling is significantly smaller in terms of its overall scale, footprint and height than the existing barn its replaces but provides a better standard of residential amenity and privacy and a more spacious layout and residential setting within the site overall.

“The appropriate and sensitive material choices for the proposed dwelling retain the essential character of the surrounding agricultural countryside landscape effectively, with timber and metal traditional materials commonly seen on many rural and agricultural buildings and dwellings to remain in keeping and will enhance the visual amenity of the site than the retention of the existing large metal clad and blockwork shed.”

You can see the application on the council’s website under reference 26/00081/FULL.

To see more public notices and planning applications, visit: publicnoticeportal.uk.