The whole family can be together (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

The whole family can be together

Ref. 28982-02A FARMING couple have won permission to build their dream retirement home even though it contravenes council planning rules.

John and Shirley Gunter, who live in Oxleaze Farm, Blunsdon, applied for planning permission to convert the farm's old barn into a bungalow.

John, who was born on the farm 70 years ago and has lived there all his life, wanted the whole family to live on the farm together. He and Shirley, 60, came up with the idea of converting the barn.

Once the bungalow is built, they hope to be joined by 38-year-old son Mark and his family from Upper Stratton, who will take over the house and work on the farm when Mr and Mrs Gunter get too old.

Their daughter, 40-year-old Debbie Butler, already lives in an adjacent property with her husband, Keith, and their three children.

The Gunters' plan appeared doomed when planning officers at Swindon Council recommended that their application should be refused.

They argued that it failed to preserve the countryside and was not a required agricultural dwelling.

But at a planning meeting last week, councillors dramatically rejected the advice and voted to support the Gunters' application.

John said he was delighted by the decision, and hoped he would be moving into the new bungalow by this time next year.

"I was surprised I thought we had no chance, but it was the right decision," he said.

"I've been here all my life and we only want the building for us to live in."

Debbie said: "I think what the councillors did was great, and I'm looking forward to having the whole family together."

Mayor Derek Benfield (Lab, Covingham and Nythe) was one of the councillors who supported the couple's application.

He accepted that in backing the proposal he was going against planning guidelines but said an exception should be made on human- itarian grounds.

"Sometimes you have to make a decision of the heart as well as the head and in this particular case it was well-justified," he said.

"They have been farming for many, many years and it was lovely to think that their son was going to continue working the farm and that family could live together."

When the vote came, a majority of councillors backed the Gunters' application. But Councillor Lisa Hawkes (Con, Highworth), chairwoman of the planning committee, said it was a bad decision.

"We do look at each application on a case-by-case basis but we should avoid making decisions against the policies of the council," she said.

"We spend hours in meetings trying to come up with guidelines and if members don't like them they should seek to change them formally rather than making arbitrary decisions."

Coun Hawkes criticised councillors who had voted against the officers' recommendations as "overly-sentimental".

"I have a great deal of sympathy with the family but it could set a precedent where developers want to build on the countryside," she said.

Andy Tate