The Barn & Equestrian Facilities, Commonmead Lane, Old Sodbury PROFESSIONAL PLANNING APPRAISAL
3.4 Adopted Policy PSP40 - Residential Development in the Countryside notes now that
“any extension as part of the conversion or subsequently [should not be]
disproportionate to the original building” and that the character of the countryside
is not harmed.
3.5 Within PSP40 there is no definition of what is ‘disproportionate’, however, elsewhere
within the Local Plan, in relation to extensions to buildings in the Green Belt; policy
PSP7 notes that “as a general guide, an addition resulting in a volume increase up
to 30% of the original building would be likely to be proportionate.” Additions to
buildings (within the Green Belt in this instance) beyond a 30% increase in volume
would be less likely to gain planning permission.
3.6 The barn is not within the Green Belt, but is within the Cotswolds AONB, another form
of protected landscape, therefore, a similar approach would be taken. The existing
Barn is approximately 192 cubic metres in volume, therefore an increase of 30%
would take this volume to closer 250 cubic metres. Assuming a single-storey flat-
roofed construction up to 2.5m in height (external); this would allow for around 24
square metres of extra floorspace to extend the accommodation.
3.7 With careful consideration to the design and use of a mezzanine level with the
central barn structure; it would be possible to create space, as part of the
conversion, for 2/3 bedrooms, in total, as well as open-plan living space.
3.8 The equestrian paddock and facilities are part of the wider site, and planning
permissions ref. PK07/2143/F, granted in September 2007, provides the necessary
consent for the equine use of the land and for the timber stable building. This
permission covers the northern half of the site.
3.9 The southern half of the site (excluding the barn and its permitted residential
curtilage) is described as 'garden' on the title deeds. The Vendor believes that the
original use of the land was as a buffer strip between the surrounding cultivated
fields. But as stated at 2.1, above, initial planning use checks are inconclusive.
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