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Barn conversions

Turn disused, agricultural out buildings into lavish home set in the country side

With the planning laws ever relaxing around converting barns or agricultural buildings, it is increasingly easy to unlock massive value uplift and create beautiful earthy homes in rural areas. Barns come in a variety of sizes and shapes, which gives us architectural designers a big job to do in making spaces work. Our team have carried out conversion projects all over Scarborough and the rest of the UK alike, giving us the experience and the skills that your project needs to really become what it has the potential to be, combining historic character with the best in architectural design.

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Designing a barn conversion

Design options are about the internal layout and keeping any external alterations in character of the building and surroundings. Converting barns will generally need to be within the structural shell, so we need to be clever about how to get light in and views out. The roof may benefit from being vaulted and where possible traditional material finishes such as wood trusses should be exposed. When designing arrange the spaces around the area and then make any opening work both inside and out.

The size orientation and outlook will be the key factors in designing a barn into living spaces, they are typically long and narrow in shapes.  Insulation will typically be formed within the fabric of the building, leaving the existing structure as a material finish. All additional openings, windows and roof lights will be in keeping, no one wants white pvcu windows within a stone and oak structure.

From basic design to full project management, you can tailor your service to you

Planning permission guide

Gaining planning permission

Even though some conversions have had the planning laws relaxed in England and Wales in 2014, there are still many boxes to tick to allow for open countryside development. Changing the use of farm buildings to create homes is now allowed as permitted development (PD). This means express planning permission isn’t needed; although there is a ‘Prior Notification’ procedure to go through.

You can only then work within the existing structure and there must be some form of access and infrastructure. The total floor space of the finished house must not exceed 450m2, for example. And PD status does not extend to listed buildings or designated zones, such as conservation areas and national parks. A sympathetic and sensitive approach to design and construction ensuring the original character remains intact is the right way forward. Other issues need to be in place such as biodiversity reports for bats, owls, newts, and some birds.

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Key factors

  • The site must have been used solely for agricultural use historically.
  • If the site is subject to an agricultural tenancy, landowners must have the express consent of their tenants.
  • The total floorspace of your barn to be converted must be no more than 450m² – if the barn is bigger, you’ll only be able to convert to a maximum of 450m².
  • The barn must have existed prior to the 20th March 2013 (no building new barns). New barns can be built and converted into homes but must exist as solely agricultural buildings for at least 10 years.
  • If bigger then the 450m² can be divided into three separate dwellings.

We have a fully trained team on hand to help however necessary

Building regulations guide

Planning to building regulations

Barn conversions are subject to the same rules as any new build, you will need to provide the following:

 

  • SAP calculations: this will design the energy efficiency of the home and give requirement for insulation and heating performance.

 

  • The building will need to be assessed for structural stability.

 

  • Sound testing will be required on completion but all construction elements affecting sound need to be detailed and built in accordance with approved plans.

 

 All other documents of the building regulations will need to be checked via full plans approval prior to commencing.

After addressing all of this carefully, we will provide you with a detailed set of building regulation drawings that will allow you to tender if you wish and give you a guide for the build.

From that point, you can move forward with your barn conversion project to choose a builder to carry out the work as you see fit, or alternatively, carry out a project management service like ours where we’ll do this for you and manage the whole thing.

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