PDR conversion of Somerset tomato greenhouse into home wins appeal

Unusual plans to turn a former tomato greenhouse in Somerset into a four-bed house under permitted development rights have won approval on appealThe project would turn a single-storey 320m2 glasshouse near Nailsbourne, built in 1984, into a house with four bedrooms, all with en-suite facilities, a study, sitting room, dining room and kitchen.The plans, drawn up by Broadoak Building Design, include adding insulated walls and a ceiling beneath the greenhouse’s glazed roof. Some parts of its exterior walls would be replaced by timber panels for doors and windows.An open-sided canopy area would be retained and turned into a covered terrace and play area.The scheme was submitted under permitted development rights, introduced in April 2014, that allow the conversion of agricultural buildings for flexible use, educational use and residential use.But Somerset and Taunton Council refused the proposal last November, arguing that the plans actually constituted a freestanding development ‘within the shell of the larger building’.The council’s position –- that the greenhouse project could not be treated as a conversion – was challenged after the applicants appealed to the planning inspectorate.Inspector Nick Davies disagreed with the council, ruling that the internal structure would be ‘integral to the resultant dwelling’ as a whole with some parts of the existing building forming additional living space, and the glazed roof providing weatherproof cover for the new insulated ceiling.Davies also said he had given ‘significant weight’ to a structural engineer’s report, included with the application, which found that the main steel-framed structure, blockwork walls, glazed panels, and floor slab were in a sound structural condition and could be converted satisfactorily.The planning inspector upheld the appeal, meaning the scheme can now go ahead.In March 2018, changes to PDR were announced that provide rural communities with more options to convert agricultural buildings into family homes.The maximum number of new homes that can be created from an existing agricultural building increased from three to five.