West Berkshire Council refuses addition to listed historic Winterbourne Manor barns
West Berkshire Council has refused a planning proposal to build a car port (a shelter supported on posts) adjoining Owl Barn at Winterbourne Manor, Winterbourne.
The application, submitted by Blueford Ltd in October, sought planning consent to construct "a modest, open sided traditional carport" to be attached to the existing front (south-facing) elevation of Owl Barn.
But the proposal was refused just before Christmas Day, with concerns raised for the site's potential for bat roosting and the impact the development might have on the historic integrity of the surrounding area.
Winterbourne Manor and its barns are Grade II-listed and the nearby St James's Church is Grade II*-listed. All buildings are sited in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A consultation with the council's senior archaeologist raised no pressing concern, but did make the following comments: "A 2002 appraisal of the farm's barns considered the whole of the Winterbourne Manor site to be important and stated that in reusing the historic barns there should be the minimum intervention with their physical form and all the conversion must remain within the envelope."
The ecologist's report also called for a bat survey to be undertaken prior to the determination of any planning application.
"The existing barn building on site shows potential for roosting bats due to the presence of suitable roosting features, including black south-facing weather boarded front elevation and tiled roof.
"The bat scoping survey will include a full external and internal inspection of the building and consider the potential for bats to be roosting within the building and identify if there is a need for bat emergence surveys to be carried out."
The case officer's report read: "It is considered that the proposed open car port, with its shallow pitched slate tiled roof, would appear as an incongruous addition, which would disrupt the historic integrity of the southern elevation.
"As such the proposal neither conserves nor enhances the character or appearance of the listed building."
"The adverse impact on the character and appearance of the listed building would have a wider impact on the prevailing character of the area.
"Insufficient information has been submitted with this application to demonstrate that the proposed development would conserve and enhance biodiversity and protected species on site.
"It is necessary to establish if protected species are present and no surveys have been provided to demonstrate otherwise."