- Decision
- dismissed, 3 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Andrew Fulford
- Authority
- Huntingdonshire (East of England)
- Appeal reference
- 6007662
- Application reference
- 25/01320/FUL
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Large extension to an existing barn forming a hobby workshop and storage beside a countryside dwelling
- Site context
- open countryside
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- DP3
- Development plan policies
- Huntingdonshire Local Plan to 2036 LP10(b), LP11, LP12
- Main issues
- character
Summary
A barn extension larger than the dwelling it served, for hobby use, was refused as overdominant in the open countryside (DL 7-8, 13). Statutory BNG was given little weight as a benefit (DL 16).
What made the difference
Scale relative to both the barn and the house. A smaller extension would give the same sustainability benefit (DL 11).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DP3 | conflict | significant | extension larger than the dwelling's footprint and nearly eaves height; incongruous; Framework requires proposals to respond to context (DL 7-9, 17) |
| N2 | neutral | statutory 10% BNG does not weigh significantly in favour (DL 16) |
Key facts
- Framework parts relevant 'not significantly amended'; no submissions sought (DL 3)
- Balance expressed as adverse impacts that 'significantly outweigh the benefits' (DL 18)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.