AN AGRICULTURAL building at a Saddleworth farm can be converted into four properties, planning chiefs have ruled.
A former cattle shed at Thurston Clough, on Thurston Clough Road in Delph, is targeted for development into two-bedroomed homes by Bryan Taylor.
And despite six objections, Oldham Council has given prior approval to the conversion and external alterations.
Even though the building has not been in use since farming on the site ended three years ago, people spoke against the scheme, with the impact on others’ water supply and access the main points of contention.
One lengthy objection stated: “Thurston Clough Farmhouse is a Grade II listed building and the barn in question appears to lie within its historic farmstead.
“The law (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, s.1(5)) confirms that any structure within the curtilage of a listed building, present since before 1 July 1948, is treated as part of the listed building.
“Given the farmhouse’s long history, any traditional farm buildings around it (such as an old shippon or barn) are likely curtilage-listed by virtue of their ancillary relationship and pre-1948 presence.
“I urge the council to carefully consider the listing status.
“The National Planning Practice Guidance gives examples – for instance, a barn on top of a remote hill with no road access or no available services might be impractical, or a building next to intensive farming operations (causing noise/smell) could be undesirable.
“In this case, the location and access arrangements make the site both impractical and undesirable for housing:
“It is clearly objectionable and harmful for a development to threaten neighbours’ essential water source.
“Furthermore, the track’s use by vehicles already causes damage – loose stone debris is dragged onto the public road, blocking drains and causing flood runoff that dangerously ices the road and adjacent property in winter.
“Intensifying the use of this substandard track with multiple households’ traffic would exacerbate these hazards.
“Future residents would be isolated, entirely car-dependent, and far from local services.
“Here we have multiple red flags – inadequate access, infrastructure risks, and isolation – which make the proposal impractical and undesirable for residential use.”
Despite those concerns, and others, no objections were received from many bodies, including Saddleworth Parsh Council.
Greater Manchester Ecology Unit requested a condition for a barn owl box is included and that will be done as Oldham Council officers gave the go ahead.
Comments included: “The existing barn and site is served by an access track to the public highway at Thurston Clough Road.
“Although this is unmade with no tarmac, it has previously served an agricultural farm and a separate dwelling.
“The council’s highways engineer has raised no objections to the proposal on highway safety grounds.
“The proposed dwellings have been designed to ensure that future occupants would enjoy good levels of residential amenity.
“The proposed design and external appearance of the building reflect the alterations that are reasonably necessary for the building to function as a dwellinghouse.
“The conversion retains its original appearance as much as possible by utilising the few existing openings in the gables.
“The noise impacts of the development would be minimal as it would function as a dwelling along with its close neighbours.
“The proposal has been designed so that each habitable room has adequate natural light.”
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