An application from a Bettiscombe farm to convert a former milking barn to a home has been refused by Dorset Council.

The application, for Lodge House Farm, was submitted by H H Johnson & Sons, and asked for the conversion of the 9 by 4.5 metre barn, together with building a new extension, to create a holiday home.

An architect’s letter with the application claimed the changes would be an improvement to the building with the site having good road visibility and would benefit from additional tree and shrub planting to  enhance the landscaping. A footpath running close to the building would not have been affected by the proposals.

Upper Marshwood Parish Council has supported the application.

A Dorset Council planning report said the proposals would double the size of the building providing a living and kitchen area with a single bedroom and a shower room and toilet, with a small, decked area outside.

The officer decided that the proposal would: “create a non-descript building that would not make a positive contribution to local character. As such the proposal is contrary to the Local Plan,” adding “It is not considered to be suitably constructed or appropriate to retain and convert,” and was also said to be in a unsustainable location being remote from services and public transport routes.

“The potential economic benefits of the proposals are limited and do not outweigh the harm that would be caused by allowing the creation of the holiday unit contrary to relevant policies of the Development Plan,” the report concluded.