Kirklees Metropolitan Council refused planning permission for a barn conversion near Holmfirth in January 2021. The original application sought to convert a barn, located on a farm in the West Yorkshire green belt, to a holiday let and did not involve any extension to the footprint of the barn, but did propose a parking and turning area.
An appeal was made against the refusal, but was again denied by inspector Paul Martinson after careful consideration of the proposal. Mr Martinson admitted that restricting the development to a holiday letting could be achieved through planning conditions, but had serious concerns about the access to the site, which is through a long unsurfaced road that is steep and potholed. Driving up the road in normal conditions would likely be a challenge, he noted, but could be even more difficult in inclement weather.
To address this, the appellant suggested that a condition was included in the planning permission limiting occupation of the barn to 44 weeks in a year, meaning it could not be occupied in January and February. The inspector noted however that access would still be required to the barn during periods where snowfall was likely, and that would make the access road challenging for everyone, including guests, cleaners, delivery drivers and maintenance staff.
Furthermore, it was noted that the activity in the spaces around the building designated for parking, refuse storage and seating would be more intensive than the current agricultural use, and would likely impinge on the visual openness of the green belt.
The appeal was therefore dismissed as the conversion was considered inappropriate.
