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Welcome to the North Norfolk Local Development Framework website. Please use the folder menus on the left to access information about LDF documents. Details about current activites, newsletters, downloads and how to get involved can be found below.

Contact the Planning Policy Team: 01263 516318 or planningpolicy@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Conversion & Re-use of Rural Buildings as Dwellings

Barn Conversion
Barn Conversion

The conversion & re-use of barns and other rural buildings is a contentious issue. In 2008 the Inspector examining the Core Strategy rejected the newly proposed policy (Policy H09) and instead saved the existing Local Plan policy (Policy 29: Re-use and Adaptation of Buildings in the Countryside). In his report he stated that the Council should review this policy at an early date. For further information about the Inspectors findings please refer to Para 6.47 - 6.55 in the Inspectors Report.

In order to review the policy a range of issues and options needed to be explored in order to determine the format and direction that the new policy would take. A document and associated questionnaire exploring these issues was available for Public Consultation from 1 to 26 June 2009. Full details can be found on the Issues & Options Public Consultation Page.

The Council prepared a draft replacement Core Stategy Policy HO9 which was published for Public Consultation from 2 October to 13 November. Full details of the consultation can be found on the Draft Policy Public Consultation page. A document has been prepared which provides a complete record of all comments received during the consultation period. This document is available to view at Cromer and Fakenham Council offices and can be downloaded below:

The Draft Policy was submitted to Government for examination alongside the Site Specific Proposals DPD on 5 March 2010. The document was submitted in its original consultation format. Following the consultation, the Council suggested that some minor changes are made to he Draft Policy. These changes were sent to the Inspector for consideration as a separate 'Schedule of Minor Modifications'.

The Policy was considered by a Planning Inspector who ruled the plan to be 'sound' in his Binding Report submitted to the Council on 1 December 2010. North Norfolk District Council formally adopted Policy HO9 for use at it's Full Councill meeting on 23 February 2011. The adopted Policy HO9 can be viewed here: http://www.northnorfolk.org/planning/3481.asp

Previous work on developing the Core Strategy H09 Policy included a debate to look at different options for dealing with the redevelopment of rural buildings particularly for residential use, which took place on 28th February 2006. This informed the new policy approach on the re-use of buildings in the countryside.

Click on the links below to view the minutes of this debate. A range of presentations were made at the seminar and these have been converted to PDF for easy viewing.