Drollis Farm, Worcestershire
Background
The site lies within the West Midlands Green Belt and in the open countryside. In relation to principle therefore, new dwellings in this location are tightly controlled and must be justified under the relevant policy framework. The case was not a simple one-for-one farmhouse replacement. The proposals involved the demolition of two non-designated heritage assets and the new dwelling represented an increase of around 30% over the size of the existing dwelling, which significantly exceeded the local policy threshold of 20%. As such, the scheme may have been considered as inappropriate development in the Green Belt whilst also attracting heritage objections therefore representing policy conflict from the outset.