Bid to turn farm shed into a five-bedroom home approved

A plan to turn a Herefordshire farm shed into a five-bedroom home has been given the go-ahead, more than a year after plans were submitted.

A section of the steel-framed shed at the 400-acre Lower Tedney Farm near Whitbourne is to be demolished, with the remainder turned into 240 square metres of internal floor space.

The approved plans show four bedrooms on the ground floor along with a large open-plan seating and dining area open to the roof, while a smaller “mezzanine” floor will accommodate a fifth bedroom under the ridge. It will also have a “large” garden.

The barn’s long planning history began in 2006 with an unsuccessful application to convert it and other farm buildings to six homes. A more recent conversion bid was refused in March last year.

A structural report with farmer John Walker’s latest application says the barn is “in good condition and can be converted into residential accommodation”.

The “prolonged delay” in approving application was due to the need for a water management strategy, the planning officer’s report on the case says.

The strategy now confirms that foul water can be managed by a package treatment plant discharging and soakaway drainage field within the boundary of the property, and that surface water can also be dealt with on-site.

The use of these was made a condition of the planning approval.