A former milking parlour on a farm at Bettiscombe could be converted into a small holiday home.

An application has been submitted to Dorset Council for planning consent to change what is described as an old milking barn at Lodge House Farm.

Papers with the application say the unit would be one-bedroom with access from an existing farm track which has only recently been upgraded to take large farm vehicles.

The building to be converted, a block and render structure, only had four stalls for cows and has not been used for many years. The closest properties to it are Lakes and Conway House with a public footpath adjacent to the site.

Said a planning statement to Dorset Council on behalf of the Johnson family: “the proposed development will enhance and provide a new economic use of the site, with a diverse range of holiday accommodation and as a result of the employing local people for the servicing needs of the accommodation as and when required. It will also provide contracts and short-term local employment through the restoration work, with a firm commitment to using local businesses.”

Comments on the application, council reference 2021/03349, can be made by March 15.