Planning Permission Received For A Self-Build Dwelling Adjoining A Settlement Boundary.

Our farming client had an old barn on a corner of a field that had laid redundant for some time.  It was then the subject of a fire! The barn was on the edge of the village and adjoined the settlement boundary.

How We Approached It

The client had previously approached an architectural firm with a view to replacing or conversion of the burned out barn as a dwelling, but a pre-application enquiry came back strongly negative from the Local Planning Authority. The barn was not structurally sound enough for conversion and the site was outside the settlement boundary where the presumption for new residential development was not in favour.

The client then contacted Berrys for a potential solution.

The dwelling was required for the client’s son and the village is within an area of high property values. Whilst there was insufficient justification for an agricultural workers dwelling, we identified an opportunity for a self-build dwelling. The Local Planning Authority had a new policy on self-build in its newly adopted Local Plan which accepted self-build dwellings on the edge of rural settlements where the applicant had a strong local connection.

How We Achieved It

We advised the client’s son to add his details to the self-build register with the Local Planning Authority. Following this, we began to compile a planning application setting out, within a comprehensive planning statement, the applicant’s strong local connection. The proposed family dwelling was designed with close cooperation between Berrys’ architectural team and the client.

Whilst the eventual planning application received some localised objection attendance at the Parish Council meeting was successful in allying fears and the Parish Council raised no objection to the application.

In order to secure that the application was for a self-build for a local person with a local connection we provided a Unilateral Agreement to the Council that its first occupation was for the applicant. The Local Authority operated a Community Infrastructure Levy.  As self-build dwelling the build was exempt from the charge but required the dwelling to be occupied by the self-build for at least 3 years.

The application was subsequently granted and allowed our farming family to live locally together within the village environment they were well established in through generations.