Large industrial buildings can be constructed despite concerns over impact on historic farm next door

Gary Hunt, who has lived at Lane Head Farm since 2004, told Barnsley Council planners the property dated to the 1500s and was a non-designated heritage asset with a value not properly assessed when the land alongside at Dodworth was allocated for industrial development.

He said council planning staff had consulted with him and a neighbour but believed they had “failed to give proper and adequate consideration to our properties.”

“The scheme is too big for this rural location,” he told councillors.

Coun Joe Hayward told the meeting: “We have had historic buildings in Barnsley and wrecked them. I believe it is (from) 1550 and that makes it a bit of an old building. Have we spoken to English Heritage?”

However, councillors voted to pass a ‘hybrid’ planning application, meaning that further approval for some elements of the scheme will still need to go back for further decisions, but the principle of erecting two large buildings for either general industry or distribution has been established.

It will form an extension to the Capitol Park development, which has successfully attracted industry to the site, which is regarded as a major contributor towards Barnsley’s development by the council.

Councillors were told “a vast array” of planning conditions would apply to the site and planning board chairman Coun Dougt Birkinshaw suggested using graduated colouring on the buildings, to help them blend with the sky.

Planning officials accept the buildings will be “quite prominent”, particularly when viewed from the M1, which runs alongside the site.

The land was earmarked for development in the council’s Local Plan, a major document which sets out the principle sites available for both housing and commercial development into the 2030s.

Traffic congestion has been an issue in the area and some earlier restrictions have been put in place to try to limit the impact on the road system nearby at busy times.

However, a report to councillors stated that since then planning permission had been granted and funding found for a new gyratory nearby in Dodworth Road, at Penny Pie Park.

It is now expected that will improve traffic flow in the area to the point where it would “ensure that sufficient capacity exists both along Dodworth Road and in turn would relieve the congestion issues at junction 37 and the roundabouts to the immediate west.

“It is likely that the gyratory works will be in place and operational before this development is brought into use.”

If the gyratory is not in service before the new development is occupied, the council could still impose a condition around traffic movement to and from the site.