A PLANNING application for three barns which have already been converted in Ash Magna has been placed in front of Shropshire Council.

The three barns were converted into ancillary accommodation, storage and a yoga studio were built by the applicant Peter Wilkinson, who approached Shropshire Council when he was found to be in breach of planning laws.

Mr Wilkinson told planning officers that he had converted the barns at Melverley Farm in a mistaken belief that he was within his rights to, but soon realised his mistake when he received a letter informing him of the breach.

In the retrospective application, agents Andy Hewitt and Rachel Saxty, from ARH Architectural Design, clarified the barns' uses in a planning statement for the application, which was made as part of Section 73A of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990.

Brad Gammond, from Shropshire Council's planning enforcement, said: "I appreciate your client’s situation and would seek to regularise this matter as quickly as possible.

"At this stage no further site visits are planned other than in connection with any application your clients wish to submit.

"Firstly, the barns look to have been re-built, so a full application would be required seeking to approve the redevelopment/replacement of the barns retrospectively if you feel that is practical in the circumstances."

The statement then asked a series of standardised questions about each barn, including whether it was a new-build or a conversion, what extensions have been made and how each conversion is being used.

The agents replied that all barns were converted with extensions added on barns one and two, but not three.

They added: "(Barn one was) previously used as temporary accommodation for the family while works were taking place in their main residence. Client intends to use it for his wife’s yoga."

Barn two will be used for stables and storage while barn three will be an ancillary residence for an elderly relative.

The consultation period for the application ends on Tuesday, February 23. – anyone wishing to comment can do so at https://pa.shropshire.gov.uk/online-applications and search 21/00254/FUL