Plans to turn heritage barns into homes goes to council

Owner, Richard Corbet, has applied for planning permission for the conversion of a range of brick farm buildings to residential use, at Woodstile Farm, Grinshill, north of Shrewsbury.

The grade 2 listed farmhouse and its attached cottage would both remain in residential use a report by Balfours agents for the owner says.

"The remaining red-brick farm buildings are reaching the end of their useful life for modern agricultural purposes, and as a result are beginning to fall into disrepair.

"It was important that the owner found a new sympathetic and economic use, to ensure the refurbishment and retention of the assets, in the long term and proposals have been drawn up for the conversion of the existing barns to a total of nine residential units. The historic layout of the farmstead will be retained."

The report says that the design of the conversion scheme makes use of existing and previous window and door openings, and only a relatively small number of new openings are proposed.

"An existing Highway access to the property from the A49 will be used to serve the development. This has adequate visibility and has been used in the past for significant levels of farm traffic."

A heritage report says the buildings are of several phases from the 17th to the end of the 19th century in date and a mixture of timber-framed, stone and brick construction.

"It is considered that they are capable of being converted to the new uses without too great an impact on their character, setting or significance. Of significance will be the sympathetic restoration if the timber-framed East Barn," the report says.

Shropshire Council will debate the planning application at a later date.