- Decision
- dismissed, 21 August 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: E Everitt
- Authority
- Horsham (South East)
- Appeal reference
- 6007717
- Application reference
- DC/25/1949
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Class Q prior approval for conversion of part of a largely open-sided agricultural building to one dwelling
- Homes
- 1
- Site context
- open countryside
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- No Framework version cited
- Determinative policies
- GPDO Q.1(j)
- Main issues
- conversion or rebuild
Summary
Class Q for a dwelling within an open-sided barn failed. With only the frame retained and every external wall new, it was a rebuild, not a conversion (DL 11-12).
What made the difference
The open-sided building meant all the enclosing fabric would be new, unlike the cited comparators that retained walls (DL 14-15).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPDO Q.1(j) | fail | only the steel frame retained, with new roof and all new external walls; tantamount to starting afresh (Hibbitt) (DL 10-17) |
Key facts
- Structurally sound frame accepted, but that alone does not satisfy Class Q (DL 9-10)
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.