A plan to knock down barns at a remote Herefordshire farm and replace them with three houses has been given permission.

Tom Chester-Masters and Heloise Trott had applied to permit the work at Middle Wernddu Barns, Rowlestone near the Welsh border.

A previous plan to convert the barns into houses, under permitted development rights, was approved in late 2022 and remained the couple’s fall-back position.

Their later plan was to replace them with three single-storey houses and garages within the barns’ footprint. Two of these will have three bedrooms, and one, four bedrooms.

Longtown parish councillors considered it “over-development” of the farm site, and objected that it was contrary to the local neighbourhood development plan which prioritises affordable housing.

But planning officer Elsie Morgan gave “significant weight” to the fallback scheme to convert the barns.

They are “simple, functional and lack architectural interest”, and replacing them with “agricultural style” houses of “quality design” would improve the look of the site – particularly as these would be smaller than the demolished barns.

Unlike with the conversion plan, sustainability features could be ensured with the newbuilds, including locally sourced materials, electric car charging points, air source heat pumps and solar panels, though in both schemes, “use of a private motor vehicle, would be required for most journeys”, Ms Morgan added.

Full planning permission was granted.