PLANS to convert agricultural buildings into five homes has been rejected by Wiltshire Council.

David Ash of Broome Manor Cottage, Broome Manor Lane in Swindon put in a bid to transform barns at Fairholme Farm.

However, plans for the Minety farm were scuppered by the council’s planning officers who opposed the bid on a number of grounds.

“The proposed works required to change the buildings into residential use go beyond the scope of a conversion and are tantamount to a rebuild of the existing buildings,” they said.

“Therefore, the scope of building operations are considered to fall beyond those reasonably necessary to convert the building into residential use.”

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Officers also took issue with the residential curtilage of the proposed plans being greater than the area currently occupied by the building.

In the planning statement, the agent for Mr Ash said: “The existing farm barn buildings are of robust construction that are structurally capable of conversion, as highlighted in the engineer’s report.

“We consider that the building operations described in this document do not represent a “new build approach”.

“High-quality and thermally efficient cladding materials will be specified to meet all the current thermal and environmental requirements detailed within the building regulations as well as providing aesthetically appealing dwellings.”

Minety Parish Council made no comments on the application.