01/10/2026
Planning permission secured ✅
In August 2026, Bath & North East Somerset Council approved a new agricultural barn for our private clients at a site near Bath. On the face of it, a relatively modest rural development, but one that came with a pretty complex planning policy backdrop.
The site sits within the Green Belt, the Cotswolds National Landscape and within the indicative extent of the City of Bath World Heritage Site setting. That meant the application needed to successfully navigate both local policy and the (previous) NPPF, demonstrating that the proposal constituted appropriate agricultural development in the Green Belt, preserved openness and would not harm the significance or setting of the World Heritage Site.
There were 12 listed buildings / structures in the vicinity, including the applicants' own listed barn and granary. The site also lies within a historic parkland dating from the mid-18th century with associations with the artist Gainsborough.
The approved scheme will support a small sheep enterprise, providing accommodation for livestock together with feed, bedding and equipment storage, whilst incorporating biodiversity enhancements, solar PV and rainwater harvesting.
A great example of how well-considered rural development can satisfy some of the planning system's toughest policy tests.
Many thanks to Colmer Ecology and Wold & Vale Tree Consultancy for their valuable input and support in helping bring the project over the line.
