Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 10 April 2025 by R Kent BA (Hons) MTP DipM MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 19th May 2025 Appeal Ref: APP/P1133/W/24/3354451 Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AL • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Ms B Baker against the decision of Teignbridge District Council. • The application Ref is 23/01296/FUL. • The development proposed is Change of use from a storage barn into a single storey dwelling. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Preliminary Matters 2. The proposed development is described as the change of use of a barn. In this instance alterations are proposed to the building including new window and door openings and a replacement roof. Together with internal works proposed to the building, I therefore take the proposal to constitute the physical alterations to the building to facilitate its change of use to use as a single storey dwelling and use the words “change of use” and “conversion” on this basis. 3.

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision The National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) was revised in December 2024 and again in February 2025. I sought the parties’ comments on the relevance of the revised Framework to their respective cases and have determined the appeal on the basis of the 2025 Framework. Main Issue 4. The main issue is whether the proposal makes suitable provision for the parking of vehicles with reference to highway safety. Reasons 5. The appeal site comprises a barn and a large garden area immediately to its east. The site lies to the rear of a pair of semi-detached cottages and adjacent to a small courtyard serving a small number of other premises. Access to the courtyard and the barn is via a narrow, single width driveway to Station Road, the B3344. 6. The proposed conversion would result in a two bedroom dwelling. The site lies within the designated Parking Policy Zone in the Bovey Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2022 (BPNP). The zone covers the older part of central Bovey Tracey which comprises a significant number of residential properties, including both houses and flats, which have no off-street parking provision.

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision The BPNP indicates that this results in residents parking on-street and on the pavement and, as a result, it is an objective of the plan to reduce overspill parking arising from new development. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision The BPNP indicates that this results in residents parking on-street and on the pavement and, as a result, it is an objective of the plan to reduce overspill parking arising from new development. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/P1133/W/24/3354451 7. Whilst the site is located in a central position within walking distance of a variety of local services and facilities including bus stops, the BPNP’s supporting commentary on parking points out that although the attractiveness of sustainable travel can be effective in reducing car use, it does not necessarily reduce the desire for car ownership, which the plan suggests is the principal generator of on- street parking demand in the town. The appellant’s evidence also accepts that the proposal would be likely to generate the use of a single vehicle and a maximum of two vehicles and that no on-site parking is proposed. 8. I noted on my site visit that long stay, on-street parking space within the vicinity of the site is severely limited by parking restrictions including double yellow lines. Although the Station Road public car park is a short walk from the site on the opposite side of Station Road and the Methodist Church Car Park lies further to the east over the river, it is likely that future occupiers of the development would require long stay, overnight and/or weekend parking for their vehicle or vehicles. 9.

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision I have not been provided with any compelling evidence that parking of this nature would be available long term for the life of the proposed development. Although an annual parking permit might be sought by future occupiers of the development, I have not been provided with any evidence to show it would be secured or that the cost of a permit or other parking fee would not be a disincentive to the long term use of either car park by future occupants of the development. 10. On the basis of the evidence before me, I therefore cannot conclude that the use of those car parks would be a reasonable alternative to providing the on-site parking required by the BPNP. As a consequence, nor can I conclude that the proposal would not increase the demand for the limited amount of on-street parking. 11. The BPNP indicates that the existing on-street parking can result in obstruction of footways by parked vehicles and create access problems for emergency vehicles. From the evidence before me, I am not satisfied that allowing the proposal without off-street parking provision of its own would not exacerbate these problems. 12.

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision Therefore, whilst an assessment of the ‘consequential additional vehicle parking demand’ arising from the proposal has been submitted as required by BPNP Policy T5, for the reasons given, the development would not make suitable provision for parking in conflict with Policies T4 and T6 of the BPNP. These require that development within the designated Parking Policy Zone makes off-street parking provision. Other Matters 13. The site lies within the Bovey Tracey Conservation Area (CA). The CA derives its significance from the town’s history as a hillside settlement and its subsequent development into a small but prosperous, post-medieval, market town. The barn is not in a prominent position in the CA and the proposed conversion would retain much of its rustic character and appearance. As a consequence, its conversion would preserve the character and appearance of the CA as a whole and would not cause harm to its significance. 14. Riverside Mill and Bovey Bridge to the east of the site are both Grade II listed buildings. The bridge dates from around 1642 and derives its significance from its design and construction materials. It forms part of a group with Riverside Mill https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/P1133/W/24/3354451 which derives its significance from its age and original use as stables. The appeal site is located across the road and largely screened from them by buildings, trees and other vegetation. Set at the western end of the site, some distance from the listed buildings, the barn does not form part of the surroundings from which the listed buildings are experienced. 15. The Dolphin Hotel is a Grade II listed building dating from the late nineteenth century. It is situated to the west of the appeal site on Station Road. As above, given its position and distance away from the appeal site, the site does not form part of the surroundings from which the listed building is experienced. 16. As a consequence, the proposed conversion would not affect the ability to appreciate any of the listed buildings. It would preserve their settings and would not cause harm to their significance. The Council did not find any harm to the significance of the heritage assets and I have found no reason to arrive at a different conclusion. 17. Reference is made to the manner in which the planning application was handled by the Council.

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — Appeal Decision This is a matter which can be pursued through other processes and does not have a bearing on my consideration of the appeal. Conclusion 18. The proposal conflicts with the development plan and the material considerations do not indicate that the appeal should be decided other than in accordance with it. For the reasons given above the appeal should be dismissed.

Barn to the rear of the Cheese Shop, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL — Teignbridge District Council — R Kent INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3