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The
Planning Challenge !
Most people
having gone through the self-build process at some
point are heard saying – " I could write
a book about all this!" In short, the key in
our case to a successful planning application seems
to be open
and frequent communication. Before we had even drawn
up any plans we organised a site meeting with our
Borough Councils planning officer and historic
and listed buildings officer. We began to understand
their outlook on the site and needs as well as how
the planning application machinery works.
The resultant application took into account their expectations
of a barn conversion i.e.: maintaining the agricultural
feel of the building and anticipated potential restrictions
that go hand in hand with being on green belt land and
in an area of outstanding natural beauty, such as limiting
the use of glass and sympathetic garden lay out.
We tried
to put in an application, which had already dealt with
any objections. As it happened we still had to make
a case for the domestic use of the building as opposed
to light commercial. Something planners actually have
to
consider first line for agricultural buildings. We
feel sure our fellow villagers would have been up in
arms had
we made this into a business rather than a home. A
professional planning consultant helped us lay out
the arguments as to
why a business would not be appropriate for this tiny
village, particularly with all its parking problems.
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