Planning Application Approved. Plans have been submitted to Cheshire West Council for the conversion of this barn in to two houses have been approved. The aim of the design was to keep the original character of the barn with new timber walls to represent the old stable doors.
A house Extension in Knutsford has been approved and is due to immediately start on site. The accommodation offers a new bedroom suite at first floor and a fantastic open plan living area at ground floor
Proposals have been drawn up and submitted to Cheshire East Council for this truly beautiful rural home set in the Open Countryside. Works include this new 4 bed family Oak Frame home with large flexible living spaces including an open plan kitchen / dining / living area enjoying the rolling landscape. The dwelling will replace a tired old farm house and the existing barns behind the house will be converted and transformed in to new life to include two new family homes
Progress moving well and quality of workmanship is excellent on this single storey house extension
The first design stages of this tremendously exciting project are now complete. The project includes a new farmhouse style dwelling and office in Somerford, Cheshire. The house is two storeys and consists of 5 bed 5 bath and open plan living spaces over 4,500 sqft. The office is 4,500 sqft and will form the head office of an emerging company in Cheshire employing over 60 people. The managing director of the company has commissioned and will live in the new house when completed. The design creates a farmyard setting which incorporates traditional elements of architecture such as Cheshire brick and Tudor style timber framing.
The office has elements of both traditional and contemporary designs. Within the courtyard facing the house the elevations are traditional with period style brick arches and porthole windows to create an attractive appearance. On the outside the elevations have full height glazing and a mixture of oak cladding and louvres to emphasise the client’s modern forward thinking business.
Construction Value £1 million +
The new Permitted Development rights, which only apply in England and come into effect from 6 April 2014, will allow the conversion of buildings up to 450 sq metres to create a maximum of three dwellings per holding.
The new rights will not be available for buildings in designated areas such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) or Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
Listed buildings are also excluded and buildings used for equine uses are generally not considered “agricultural” in planning terms.
To qualify for the new Permitted Development rights, the buildings must have been “used solely for an agricultural use, as part of an agricultural unit on 20 March 2013”.
Buildings brought into use after that date can only be converted once they have been used for agricultural purposes for 10 years.
The installation or replacement of windows, doors, roofs, or exterior walls, or water, drainage, electricity, gas or other services will be allowed to the extent reasonably necessary for the building to function as a house.
“Partial demolition” will also be permitted “to the extent reasonably necessary to carry out building operations”.
This would seem to preclude knocking down barns and rebuilding on their footprints as had originally been proposed.
This could make a meaningful change to the building industry and bring some additional investment in to the countryside
James Bell Architecture Ltd at Barn Studio 