DERELICT farm buildings are to be converted into housing in a Hampshire village.

Eight barns will be turned into dwellings in Twyford, near Winchester, after applicant Hazeley Farm was granted planning permission by the South Downs National Park.

It is one of the largest schemes of its kind in the county and local development consultancies Sturt & Company and Pro Vision Design & Planning had to demonstrate the buildings were no longer commercially viable to get the permission.

Richard Sturt, managing director of Sturt & Company, said: “We needed to prove that a change of use would not adversely affect the amount of employment available, or impact on the local economy. “Our company specializes in this type of work and together with Pro Vision we’ve succeeded in keeping these beautiful buildings a heritage asset for generations to come.”

Jeremy Higgins of Pro Vision Design and Planning added: “We were delighted to secure this valuable consent for our client, which is the latest in the significant number of consents we have obtained over the past 10 years for the conversion of redundant buildings in the countryside to alternative uses.”

The new homes will be ready in 2015.