Carter Jonas secures approval for conversion of redundant farm buildings

Carter Jonas has successfully obtained planning and listed building consent for the conversion of disused farm buildings into seven homes on behalf of a private landowner.

The South Cambridgeshire District Council granted the consent in March, recognising the project’s positive approach to heritage preservation and design in a highly protected area. The site is within the Horningsea Conservation Area, adjacent to the Green Belt and open countryside.

A nearby Grade II listed manor house, with adjoining gardens, renders the farm buildings ‘curtilage listed,’ disqualifying them from Class Q permitted development rights, which usually allow for the change of use from agricultural to residential.

Under Policy S/11 of the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan, residential redevelopment in Horningsea is typically limited to two units. Consequently, the planning application for the 0.49-hectare site was initially recommended for refusal by the council’s planning officers. However, the Planning Committee, with support from the Parish Council and local ward councillors, opted to consider the application at the committee level rather than delegating it to officers.

Substantial backing from local residents and neighbours led to the committee overturning the refusal recommendation, unanimously approving the project. Councillors commended the scheme’s sympathetic design, which was deemed appropriate for the village and its heritage assets.

Colin Brown, Head of Planning & Development at Carter Jonas in Cambridge, remarked, “It is rare for committee members to overturn officers’ clear recommendations for refusal. When it does occur, it is a real triumph. With a local and national housing crisis worsening by the day, good quality conversions such as this should not be passed by lightly. This case highlighted contradictions in local planning policies, and I hope planning officers will consider this in future decisions regarding redundant agricultural buildings.”

Tim Jones, Head of Rural at Carter Jonas, added, “Our client is delighted that the South Cambridgeshire District Council’s planning committee took the time to consider the application in detail and understand its real benefit. The farm buildings are no longer fit for their original purpose, and we are all delighted that they can now be converted to high-quality homes for people to enjoy.”

Construction is set to begin by the end of the year, with completion anticipated within 12 months.

Carter Jonas’ Planning & Development team collaborated with NP Architects for design and architecture, and Dakin Estates for project management and development. Carter Jonas’ Rural division oversees the estate management, while its residential division will market the completed properties.

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