Rural building dwelling at The Coach House, Staplehurst

What was proposed

The retrospective application sought to legalise using the farm building as a one-bedroom home, occupied separately since June 2024.

“This retrospective application seeks to legalise the change of use of the building to a one-bedroom residential dwelling. The building has been occupied as a separate residential dwelling since June 2024.”

“The submitted floor plans show a kitchen, lounge, bedroom and WC facilities. Access to the building is from a lane leading off Goudhurst Road. The proposal includes a 1.8 metre high fence between the application building and Rabbit Farmhouse.”

Officer report

The site and building

The Coach House is a small brick building in open countryside, near a Grade II listed farmhouse and about 1.9 kilometres from Staplehurst.

“The application site is in the open countryside approximately 1.9km south of the built confines of Staplehurst. The Coach house is a single-storey brick building with a gable roof, a rectangular footprint and a gross internal floor area 37m2.”

“The Coach house is across a driveway (approximately 7 metres) from Rabbit Farmhouse, a Grade II listed building built in the early 18th century. Rabbit Farmhouse is of timber-framed construction, with a brick ground floor and a first floor of banded plain and fish scale tiles. The distance between the application building (Coach House) and Rabbit Farmhouse is approximately 7 metres.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended permission because the proposal met relevant rural conversion requirements and was acceptable for amenity, accommodation, appearance, parking and highways.

“RECOMMENDATION: GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION subject to conditions…”

“SUMMARY OF REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION: • Acceptable in terms of neighbour amenity, standard of accommodation, visual amenity, parking and the wider highway network. • Proposal complies with policy LPRQD5 of Local Plan Review and policy H1 of the Staplehurst Neighbourhood Plan.”

Officer report

Consultation and objections

One resident objected on privacy, noise, heritage, application details and covenant grounds, while the parish council objected over foul drainage; consultees raised no objections.

“One response objecting for the following (summarised) reasons: • Overlooking and loss of privacy to occupiers of Rabbit Farmhouse • Noise and disturbance to occupiers of Rabbit Farmhouse • Adverse impact on setting and heritage importance of Grade II Listed Building • Incorrect details submitted with application • Breach of restrictive covenant listed within the HM Land Registry…”

“Objection • incomplete without foul water drainage. • Requested referral to the Planning Committee if the case officer in minded to recommend approval.”

Officer report

Who spoke

An objector and a representative for the applicant addressed the committee, and a parish council statement was read aloud.

The committee decision

The committee granted permission subject to the recommended conditions and an additional obscure-glazing requirement for the front-door window.

“That permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report with an additional condition requiring the window adjacent to the front door of the application building to be obscure glazed up to a height of 1.7 metres above the internal floor level.”

“That the Head of Planning and Economic Development be given delegated powers to be able to settle or amend any necessary planning conditions and/or informatives in line with the matters set out in the recommendation and as resolved by the Planning Committee.”

Minutes

Planning conditions

Permission included requirements covering the approved plans, biodiversity, drainage, landscaping, lighting, boundaries, waste, energy, parking and turning areas.

“5) The approved details of the parking and turning areas shall be completed prior to the first use of the dwelling hereby approved and shall thereafter be kept available for such use. No development, whether permitted by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (or any order revoking and re-enacting that Order, with or without modification) or not, shall be carried out on the areas indicated or in such a position as to preclude…”

Officer report