Farmer in Monmouthshire told to Provide More Information for New Barn Build

A FARMER has been told he must provide his local council with more information before he can build new storage for machinery and hay. 
Monmouthshire County Council said as the plans are for a large barn, that would be 32 metres wide and 12.9m wide and 5.8m tall at its highest point, and in an isolated location in the Wye Valley National Landscape it requires formal details to be submitted. 
Farmer Mr J Lewis had notified the planning department of his plan to put the steel portal frame building, finished with natural grey fibre cement roof sheets, concrete panel walls and Yorkshire boarding, on his 32 acre Lower Glyn Farm in Devauden. 
The council has asked Mr Lewis to provide further details on why the barn is “reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture” and to consider a new location, to avoid it standing in isolation in the protected area of outstanding natural beauty. It advised “in closer proximity to the original farmyard is recommended”. 
The site Mr Lewis has proposed is around 350m to the south west of the farmyard which Monmouthshire council planning officer Ryan Bentley said “would be a more appropriate location for an agricultural building at the holding”. 
The proposed site is also close to a group of protected trees and ancient woodland. 
Devauden Community Council said it felt the “size and location of the barn is inappropriate”. 
Should Mr Lewis still want to place the building in his preferred location the council will also require more details on how vehicles will access it. 
Farm and forestry buildings can be built without a full planning application being submitted if the planning authority is satisfied with information provided under the prior notification process. Mr Lewis can provide the information requested by the council under the same process.  ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​