PROPOSALS have been submitted for an historic redundant barn to be converted into a house at Patchacott near Okehampton.

The application, 3106/22/FUL, would see one of a group of barns at Tutchenor Farm converted into a home.

The barn is believed to date from beyond the nineteenth century and has an unusual ‘rag slate roof’. The proposal would see the historic features of the building retained.

A planning statement, submitted with the application to West Devon Borough Council, said: ‘The agricultural building is now redundant for modern agricultural purposes and is clearly a building of some significance and the rag slate roof is an indication of the quality of the original build.’

As part of the conversion, the roof will be replaced and solar panels will be installed on the roof.

A heritage statement with the application stated: ‘The building has charm and merit and this conversion will be a means of retaining the building for future occupants and become a useful revenue stream with respect to the sustainability of the farm itself.

‘It is important that these buildings are preserved and, if possible, preserved in such a way as their fenestrations do not change, certainly when viewed from the public highway.’

Comments are invited by October 13 via the planning section of the WDBC website.

Another possible barn conversion is the subject of application 3068/22/PDM, which asks WDBC whether planning permission is needed a barn no longer needed for agricultural purposes on a Northlew farm into a home.

The proposal is at Higher Eastcott at Northlew, where the applicants hope to rely on a Class Q permission, where barns can be converted into homes on farms without planning permission as long as the structure of the building is not altered.

They should also have a history of being used for ten years as part of a farm business.

This proposal suggests keeping the fibre cement corrugated roof and timber cladded walls of the original barn.

West Devon Borough Council, meanwhile, is applying to itself for planning permission to replace its current single eight metre high flagpole with three eight metre high ones (application 2603/11/FUL).

The new flagpoles will be about three metres away from the current ones. A report from an arboriculturist has stated that these will not harm the mature trees close by.

In Spreyton, near Okehampton, householder Phil Wheeler has made an application, 2585/22/HHO, to mount solar panels on his roof at Little Begbeer Farm.