Prior approval has been granted to turn an agricultural building at New Leaf Farm at Bathampton into two houses.
The entrance to New Leaf Farm Holiday Cottages | Image © Google Street View / Google 2024
An application for three houses was submitted to Bath & North East Somerset Council at the end of September by Steve Horler, whose husband Councillor Kevin Guy is the council’s leader.
However, the report from planning officers who granted approval just before Christmas referred to two houses.
The council had received nine objections, among them from the two Green Party councillors who represent neighbouring Lambridge ward. Saskia Heijltjes and Joanna Wright shared concerns about the overdevelopment of what is primarily agricultural land.
The two councillors said: “The ongoing increase of housing for let on this site contributes to increased traffic on small roads, directly impacting Lambridge ward. Further, this applicant has been involved with selling land to the National Trust to protect this area for wildlife, that also sits in the flood plain.”
They added that the walking, wheeling and cycling routes are unlit and although the application states there are three bus companies operating within easy reach, the nearest bus stop is 0.8 miles away and the nearest shops are a mile away.
There are already nine self-catering cottages and apartments at New Leaf Farm, which is in the Green Belt.
Mr Horler has previously stated to the Bath Echo that New Leaf Farm is owned by his father and neither he nor Councillor Guy (Lib Dem, Bathavon North) own anything there.
The assessment report on the prior approval bid said that “the applicant maintains that the building forms part of an agricultural unit upon which silage and haylage is produced.
“Officers note that some comments have indicated that no agricultural activity is taking place, whilst others have stated that the proposal will impact a site which is primarily agricultural land.
“No substantive evidence has been presented to the local planning authority which makes the applicant’s statement less than probable, and as such, it is considered that on balance the site and building are presently in agricultural use.”
Planning officers felt the application met the criteria for change of use and described the design as “acceptable”.
Council highways officers said that although the site is outside the housing development boundary, “should it be considered permitted development, legislation limits the scope of the highway authority consultee comments to matters of ‘transport and highway impacts of the development’, and there is no sustainability test identified.
“Given the scale and type of development proposed, it is unlikely that there would be any significant transport or highway impacts as a result of the proposal.”
As the building is close to the busy A4, the council’s environmental protection team had advised that prior to any approval there should be an initial assessment by an Institute of Acoustics member in order to determine the level of risk from a noise perspective.
The report noted: “The applicant responded, acknowledging the potential for harm and advised that they intend to utilise enhanced noise reduction measures including acoustic insulations and plasterboard, etc., as has been done in the adjacent building, in order to mitigate the noise impacts from the adjoining road. This is considered acceptable, and conditions shall be attached.”
No ecological information was submitted with the application so planning officers have attached a condition to “ensure precautionary working methods are adhered to avoid harm to any bats or birds during construction” as well as a condition requiring submission of lighting details to ensure light spill onto wildlife habitats remains below 0.5 lux.
Conditions were also attached requiring the reporting of any unexpected contamination and for covered storage to be provided for at least five bikes.
‘Creeping commercial property’
Meanwhile, there are concerns about plans to replace the agricultural building with two smaller ones.
This separate application was made by Mr Horler in October and council planners are due to make a decision by 20th January.
A covering letter from Mr Horler at the time of the submission said: “An existing agricultural building at New Leaf Farm of 225m2 is being converted into housing.
“This application seeks to replace it with two smaller agricultural buildings with an identical combined footprint of 225m2 so there is no change in agricultural storage space.”
There have been more than 10 objections. One said the application should be considered alongside the prior approval request, observing: “If there is a need for agricultural buildings on this property, the existing agricultural building should be retained and the change of use application be refused.”
He added:” I object to the application on the grounds that there is sufficient agricultural buildings on the site and that any increase to the number of agricultural buildings on the site will be disproportional to the needs of the little agricultural activity that makes place at New Leaf Farm.
“It is nothing more than creeping commercial property in the Green Belt surrounding Bath.”
Another person commented: “Whilst I have no objection to agricultural building on agricultural land, given Mr Horler’s unfortunate planning history, should consent be granted, a condition should be attached that under no circumstances can any application be made in future to convert these buildings for commercial use.”
Bathampton Parish Council has objected to the plans, saying it would not be appropriate to add yet more buildings to the site.
Earlier this year Mr Horler’s bid under permitted development legislation to change the use of two agricultural buildings into a hotel with up to nine bedrooms was submitted but later withdrawn.
Mr Horler has been invited to provide a comment.
