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Barn conversions

Turn disused, agricultural out buildings into lavish home set in the country side

Following the relax in planning laws in the UK, barn conversions in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud and across Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds are extremely popular as both residences and as businesses alike. Gloucestershire is absolutely full of farmland, and plenty of unused agricultural buildings and barns ready and waiting for conversion.

CK Architectural have a vast depth of award-winning experience in the finer points of converting barns through great design and knowledge on the relevant planning policies. These disused and unloved building can be designed into excellent modern living space in the heart of the open countryside. You can enjoy all the modern comforts of new builds with a traditional period twist. Typically, you will need to work with the existing structure and where possible a rusty old barn becomes a bespoke aluminium sliding door arrangement. You can enjoy warmth and comfort with beautiful views out across courtyards, fields, woods and hills.

Contact us today to speak with a member of our team who will give you all of the advice and quotation you need to move forward with your barn.

We provide comprehensive advice before any commitment

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Designing a barn conversion

When it comes to the design of a barn conversion in Gloucestershire or anywhere else for that matter, there are a number of things to conder to create the perfect finish. Whether it’s a contemporary masterpiece or a traditional, country feel barn, we have the expertise to make your dream a reality.

Barns are almost always long and narrow in their structure, which means designing the best conversion needs some careful thought.

Creating through rooms is not always avoidable, but with the height that barn conversions often have to offer, large open spaces, galleries and mezzanines are all available to your design.

Barn conversions are still subject to typical building regulations, meaning you’re still required to have access to necessary utilities, access, services and all other areas too.

Insulation is usually within the building fabric, and any windows and doors also ideally need to be considered too.

From basic design to full project management, you can tailor your service to you

Planning permission guide

Gaining planning permission

The barn conversion process subject to a standard planning permission is not typically an easy thing to have carried out, but thanks to recent changes in legislation, it’s now easier than ever. Previously, because of the nature and location of barns, planning permission has been difficult to get because of the impact on the scenery and the land alike.

Thanks to the Barn Conversion Clause in the General Permitted Development Order, this has all changed. The change of use of a building and the land within its curtilage is authorised as a dwelling, as well as authorising reasonably necessary building operations such as conversions under the new Permitted Development Order.

As a result, no planning permission is required due to your rights as a property owner, providing that your barn meets a few conditions that you can see below.

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Key factors

  • The site must have been used solely for agricultural use historically.
  • If the site is subject to an agricultural tenancy, landowners must have the express consent of their tenants.
  • The total floorspace of your barn to be converted must be no more than 450m² – if the barn is bigger, you’ll only be able to convert to a maximum of 450m².
  • The barn must have existed prior to the 20th March 2013 (no building new barns). New barns can be built and converted into homes but must exist as solely agricultural buildings for at least 10 years.
  • If bigger then the 450m² can be divided into three separate dwellings.

We have a fully trained team on hand to help however necessary

Building regulations guide

Planning to building regulations

Once you have your permission in place, it’s time to produce the detailed construction and building regulations drawings. Building regulations are essential for any project, as they ensure your build is legal and meets any requirements while maintaining safety and quality at all times.

This is even more important when it comes to barn conversions since the build quality is often sub-par. Barns can often be poorly built, meaning that adding more weight can be difficult and using the external walls and finish will form a planning condition. We’ll account for all of this and more of course, but it’s always something to consider in the design process.

Service and drainage are the next challenges, as septic tanks and oil boilers are a requirement when mains sewers, gas and electricity are not available. We will take you through all the options available and consider the limitation through the design phase.

Part B – Fire Safety

Part C – Site preparation and resistance to contaminates and moisture

Part D – Toxic Substances

Part E – Resistance to the passage of sound

Part F – Ventilation

Part G – Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency

Part H – Drainage and Waste Disposal

Part J – Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems

Part K – Protection from falling, collision and impact

Part L – Conservation of fuel and power

Part M – Access to and use of buildings

Part N – Glazing Safety (Withdrawn)

Part P – Electrical Safety

Part Q – Security

After addressing all of this carefully, we will provide you with a detailed set of building regulation drawings that will allow you to tender if you wish and give you a guide for the build.

From that point, you can move forward with your barn conversion project to choose a builder to carry out the work as you see fit, or alternatively, carry out a project management service like ours where we’ll do this for you and manage the whole thing.

Do you have a project?

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