Converting traditional farm buildings

Detailed guidance on how to achieve high quality farm building conversions has been published by English Heritage amid concerns by the agency that unsympathetic or insensitive conversions are fast eroding the character of England's countryside.

The guidance contains detailed sections on how to deal with key design issues such as day-lighting, subdivision of space, retention of features, treatment of the setting as well as the incorporation of services and insulation. A tool kit is also included to help guide and inform decisions when conversion is being considered.

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said "Traditional farmsteads are as central to our vision of the English countryside as trees and hedges. Their use of local materials and their distinctive building styles makes them fundamental to sense of place and diversity in the landscape. But widespread changes in farming practices mean that many of these structures will need to find new uses if they are to survive into the next century.

"Converting them into work places or homes is a good way of ensuring their survival. It is recycling on a grand scale and avoids the expenditure of energy and materials required for new building. If it is done well, the result will always be more in keeping with local character than a new mass-produced building."

In England, a third of listed farm buildings have been converted, with 90% of these converted to residential use. This is largely a reflection of the increasing number of city dwellers moving to the countryside attracted by the high quality environment and way of life, and tight controls on new developments in the countryside.

Stephen Trow, Head of Rural and Environmental Policy at English Heritage said: "The pressure for finding new uses for historic farm buildings is not going to go away and a pragmatic approach is required to manage the process of change effectively.

"We need to identify which buildings are best suited to conservation and which to conversion, taking account of their historic significance and landscape sensitivity. Our policies and guidance will help individuals and local authorities make better, more informed, decisions about the future use of the farm building stock and promote high standards in design and implementation."

David Pickles, Senior English Heritage Architect said: "The conversion of buildings should always be carried out with respect for the original structure and features, and an understanding for their setting. Thoughtfulness, insistence on quality and expert help are needed in large doses to bring good results, but the joy of working or living in a well conserved, characterful historic farm building is immense, and the potential for the property to hold its value is also higher."

Some of the recommendations in the guide include:

* Respect the open character of many farm building interiors and minimise sub-division of spaces.

* Maximise the use of existing openings in their original form where these contribute to the building's character and minimise the formation of new ones.

* Retain distinctive features such as ventilation holes or slits, owl holes, date stones,

* Retain and repair existing joinery where possible. Avoid using 'off the peg' joinery as their standard 'domestic' proportions are almost never suitable for traditional farm buildings.

* Keep the long unbroken roof profile that characterises many farm buildings.

* Roof structures should not be drastically altered to create extra headroom, nor should rooflights be added without careful consideration. Adding a number of rooflights can seriously undermine the original simplicity of form so fundamental to these buildings

* Retain outbuildings such as cart-sheds for ancillary uses such as storage and space for vehicles.

* External paint colours need to be carefully chosen. Garish colours and white should be avoided in preference to colours such as dark grey/red, grey green or colours that match existing stonework.

The Conversion of Traditional Farm Buildings: A guide to good practice is downloadable from the Historic Environment Local Management website at http://www.helm.org.uk/ruraldevelopment or available for free in hard copy from English Heritage Customer Services, tel: 0870 333 1181.

Publication of the guidance follows the recent publication of Living Buildings in a Living Landscape: Finding a Future for Traditional Farm Buildings, a policy document jointly issued by English Heritage and the Countryside Agency in July which explores how best to secure their future. Copies of this are also available online or as hard copies, details as above.