Item 13 Pages 3-17                                                       Bletchenden Farm, Bletchenden Road, Headcorn, Kent

Ref. 16/501954

Amended application description as below:

Demolition of attached outbuildings - conversion and extension of barn to provide dwelling.

Officer comments

Paragraph 6.21 of the Committee Report states the barn to be converted has a high potential to support roosting bats.  Where this is the case the Habitat Regulations 2010 require Local Planning Authorities to consider the following three tests when considering planning applications where bats roosts have been identified and a Natural England Licence would be required as a consequence.

1. Overriding Public Interest.

It is considered the proposal provides for the long term beneficial reuse of a heritage asset along with significant improvements in the appearance of the site to the benefit of visual amenity.

2. No satisfactory alternative.

It is considered the above public interest aims set out above can best be secured by the proposal under consideration. If the proposal is not permitted there is the possibility the condition of the barn and that of the site in general will continue to deteriorate resulting in eventual loss of the heritage asset and ongoing harm to local amenity.

3. Favourable conservation status must be maintained.

The mitigation measures set out, being the provision of bat lofts and a bat roost box on one of the willow trees abutting the nearby pond, are considered sufficient to secure the above aim.

Paragraph 6.28 - L3 – delete the word ‘possibility’

RECOMMENDATION

Recommendation to GRANT planning permission remains unchanged subject to the following amended conditions:

Amended condition 2: 

Prior to the development hereby approved commencing joinery details of the proposed windows and doors shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The details shall specify materials and finishes and include large scale plans at a scale of 1:20 showing long and cross profiles of the mullions, transoms and cills.  Work shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved details and retained as such at all times thereafter.

Reason:  This information is required prior to commencement to ensure that the character, fabric and appearance of the heritage asset is safeguarded.

Amended condition 3:

Prior to the development hereby approved commencing written details and samples of all external materials including those to be used for permeable surface materials, access ways, parking and turning areas shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be constructed using the approved materials. 

Reason: This information is required prior to commencement to ensure that the character, fabric and setting of the heritage asset is safeguarded.

Amended condition 5:

Prior to first occupation of the development hereby approved a native species landscaping scheme designed in accordance with the principles of the Council’s landscape character guidance shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.  The scheme, which shall be implemented in the first available planting scheme following first occupation of the development hereby approved, shall show all existing trees and hedgerows to be retained specify the areas of new planting, the type, size and density of any planting along with long term management details of the landscaping scheme. Any planting becoming dead, dying or diseased within 5 years of planting shall be replaced with a similar species of a size to be agreed in writing beforehand with the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity.