Chester farm buildings to become new B&B

TWO traditional brick and slate farm buildings in Chester's Green Belt have approval for use as a bed and breakfast.

The conversion is proposed by Mrs Tania Foster at Brook Farm, Capenhurst Lane, Capenhurst.

It will provide six ensuite rooms for B&B accommodation with a kitchen and dining room facilities, according to a report.

Capenhurst and Ledsham Parish Council said it was concerned that if the bed and breakfast closed for any reason, the accommodation would be converted to a domestic property.

Councillors asked if there would be sufficient parking if all the rooms were occupied and believed that parking on the road would not be suitable at Brook Farm.

One objection was sent in to Chester City Council from neighbours Mr and Mrs M T Foster at Lower Brook Farm House raising questions about the viability of a B & B only 20m from a large cow shed.

Any future conversion to residential use was also mentioned together with overlooking, loss of privacy and intrusive noise from guests who potentially would use the accommodation “at all hours of the day and night”.

Agents for Mrs Foster argued the cow shed would be 40m away and said: “There are plenty of examples of successful farm bed and breakfast enterprises running in harmony with a working farm”.

The development will not affect the openness of the surrounding countryside, according to planning officers.

It will not be detrimental to the character of the area but they suggested a condition should be imposed requiring security lighting to have approval.

Any future change of use to residential would require a planning application, they said.

They did not feel the conversion would have an unacceptable detrimental impact on the amenity of neighbours and argued that a B&B was not inappropriate in the Green Belt.

The accommodation would be an acceptable re-use of the redundant agricultural buildings.

Chester's planning board agreed on a unanimous 13-0 vote the conversion could have approval after hearing from principal planning officer Liz Stone there were no objections from the drainage authority.