- Decision
- allowed, 21 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: C Cooper-Young
- Authority
- Somerset (South West)
- Appeal reference
- 6009739
- Application reference
- 2026/0437/PAA
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Class Q prior approval, agricultural barns C and D to 6 dwellings (with extension to Barn D)
- Homes
- 6
- Site context
- open countryside, listed building setting
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- GPDO Sch2 Pt3 Class Q.1(p), GPDO Sch2 Pt3 Class Q.2(1)(a)
- Development plan policies
- Somerset Countywide Parking Strategy
- Main issues
- suitable existing access; transport impacts; location/siting (noise)
Summary
Class Q prior approval for six dwellings in two barns was granted. The existing 4.8m access was suitable, transport impacts were acceptable, and a neighbouring storage barn conditioned against livestock would not make the conversion undesirable.
What made the difference
The council had already accepted residential conversion of Barns A and B, and the neighbouring Barn E was already restricted by condition. Q.1(p)'s "suitable existing access" was read as meaning fit for normal day-to-day residential use (DL ¶12).
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 Class Q para Q.1(p) | pass | existing 4.8m access with good visibility is "suitable existing access" (5m local standard) (DL 12-16) | |
| TR6 | pass | code mapped by harvester — Q.2(1)(a): no harm to highway safety nor "severe residual cumulative impacts" (DL 17-20); Framework relevant via GPDO para W.10(b) (DL 5) | |
| P4 | pass | code mapped by harvester — Q.2(1)(e) neighbouring Barn E conditioned to hay/machinery storage only; limited farm activity; not impractical or undesirable (DL 21-26) |
Key facts
- Barns A and B already have conversion consents (DL 21)
- Mells Valley SAC Bat Consultation Zone C; Reg 75 Habitats condition applied (DL 27)
- Parties consulted on 2026 Framework (DL 4)
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.