A NEW building can be constructed in a Hampshire hamlet, despite planning officers recommending refusal.
Tree surgeon Ross Woodley applied to demolish a barn and reconstruct it to make a family home at Ashley Glebe Farm Barn, Chalk Vale, in Ashley.
Test Valley Borough Council planning officers recommended it for refusal because they said it was against the local plan to build in the countryside.
This is because the building had been demolished already, with Mr Woodley telling the southern area planning committee on Tuesday, September 26 that he had received 'bad advice'.
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The committee agreed to permit the scheme because the demolished barn had planning permission in 2021 for the change of use into a residential dwelling.
In the planning officers' report, it said: “The development would be contrary to the development plan in that the proposals would result in a new residential dwelling on a site designated as countryside in the Test Valley Borough Revised Local Plan 2016 (RLP). As a result the proposal for a new dwelling in the countryside is contrary to policy COM2.
“Overall, the proposal is contrary to the development plan. The proposal is not otherwise justified by material considerations, including national policy in the NPPF. For this reason the application is recommended for refusal.”
The scheme was supported by Ashley Parish Meeting. In a written comment, chairman Grace Everett said: “All Ashley residents were notified about this application and a parish meeting was held on June 30 when this application was discussed. The decision was unanimously in strong support of this application.”
Former Test Valley borough councillor Tony Burley spoke to the planning committee in favour of the scheme. He said: “The applicants were advised to demolish the barn. This is complex, but don't punish the applicant for this. Common sense is in short supply in the planning system.
“Ask yourselves, what is the harm in approving this application? You do not have to endorse the officers' recommendation.”
Mr Woodley, the applicant, said: “We hope you can support this, we had very bad advice to demolish the barn. All we want to do is complete the work on our dream home. This has caused a lot of stress for my family.”
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Cllr Ian Jeffrey, who represents the Mid Test ward, said: “This is a very difficult, but important application. It has the full support of Ashley Parish Meeting.
“What we're looking at is not pleasant countryside. It has residential properties surrounding it. This would cause no harm. We have to show some flexibility here. We can't let ourselves be enslaved by technicalities.”
Cllr John Parker said: “This is an unfortunate situation. We have to balance benefit versus harm. The only harm is that it challenges the interpretation of our planning policies. Common sense ought to apply.”
Six members of the committee voted against the officers' recommendation for refusal, with two abstentions.
They agreed to permit the scheme on the grounds that the barn had previous planning permission.
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