The Building Consultancy team employed a two-stage approach to converting this large steel portal frame barn, starting with a Class Q application to change the use from agricultural use to four dwellings.

Once this was approved, the team followed it up with a full planning application, incorporating an improved design and a reduction in numbers to provide two larger dwellings. The resulting design is impressive and gained the support of the Parish Council.

This modest steel framed barn was transformed into a dwelling providing open plan living areas along with two bedrooms at ground floor and a master bedroom with en suite facilities on the first floor mezzanine.

Timber cladding to the walls has been combined with full height powder coated glazing and bi-fold doors and smaller scale windows and doors to maximise the extensive views across open countryside and create the contemporary appearance required.

Durrants successfully negotiated a prior approval from South Norfolk Council for the residential conversion of a former piggery building. The conversion allows the reuse of an otherwise redundant agricultural building for residential purposes.

Comprising two dwellings, the contemporary design offers an open plan layout for each dwelling. The internal conversion works seek to make the most of the rural outlook while the exterior work is carefully designed to maintain the original rural character of the building.

With the introduction of permitted development rights for farm building conversions in 2014, Durrants has successfully negotiated numerous planning approvals across Norfolk and Suffolk for the conversion of more modern farm buildings into dwellings.

This 2016 example in Tibenham illustrates how a redundant agricultural building can be modified for re-use by providing a dwelling that meets all of today’s living standards.