Planning appeal decision
St. Gabriels Farm , The Ridge, Cold Ash, Thatcham, RG18 9HX
Planning appeal 3280379 at St. Gabriels Farm , The Ridge, Cold Ash, Thatcham, RG18 9HX (West Berkshire District Council) was dismissed on 23 February 2022 by Inspector Rennie S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Appeal A: whether the proposed building operations would be considered reasonable to convert the agricultural buildings to dwellings and therefore whether the agricultural buildings are capable of functioning as a dwelling.
for the prior approval of change of use of agricultural buildings to 5 dwellings
- Authority
- West Berkshire District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Rennie S
- Postcode
- RG18 9HX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Appeal A: whether the proposed building operations would be considered reasonable to convert the agricultural buildings to dwellings and therefore whether the agricultural buildings are capable of functioning as a dwelling
- Appeal B: the effect of the development on the character and appearance on the landscape and wider area
What decided it
The appellant failed to provide sufficiently robust evidence that the existing barn structures were already suitable for residential conversion or that the extensive proposed building operations, including demolition and new gable construction, would be limited to those reasonably necessary for conversion under Class Q of the GPDO.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy C1Policy C8Policy CS14Policy CS19
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in West Berkshire
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022
- Allowed9 October 20266011720Birchwood House, Kiln Ride, Upper Basildon, Reading, RG8 8TA
- Allowed7 October 20266009778Middlewood House, Carbinswood Lane, Woolhampton, RG7 5TS
- Allowed29 September 20266012621Land South of Sandhill, Hampstead Norreys Road, Hermitage, Thatcham, RG18 9XU
- Dismissed28 September 2026600935976 Mallard Way, Aldermaston, Reading, RG7 4US
- Allowed9 September 20266011886Land South Of The Rancher, Manor Farm Lane, Reading, RG8 8EX
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
®