Wiltshire farm building approved for indoor racket sports venue

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 06:19 · Archive

Wiltshire Council has approved conversion of a 331-square-metre farm building into an indoor racket sports facility.

Wiltshire Council has approved conversion of a 331-square-metre agricultural building at Yarnfield Manor in Maiden Bradley, near Warminster, into an indoor racket sports facility. The single court will accommodate up to four players at a time. Planning officers determined the scheme qualified as permitted development under the General Permitted Development Order, which allows certain commercial conversions of farm buildings without requiring a full planning application.

Highways officers initially raised concerns about the suitability of Duke's Lane, the narrow rural road serving the site. The lane has limited passing places, raised verges and hedge-lined boundaries. Officers acknowledged that the new use would generate different traffic patterns from the agricultural use, with visitors arriving throughout the day rather than the seasonal and intermittent vehicle movements associated with farming. Vehicles meeting on the lane could potentially be forced into lengthy reversing manoeuvres, creating conflicts with other motorists, walkers, equestrians and agricultural traffic.

However, the applicant submitted a highways technical note that convinced planners traffic levels would remain relatively modest, leading to approval of the scheme.

How it is being reported

• Green light for new sports facility despite traffic fears in narrow laneA large agricultural building in the Wiltshire countryside can be converted into an indoor racket sports venue.Gazette & Herald · 9 Oct, 05:00
• Green light for new sports facility despite traffic fears in narrow laneA large agricultural building in the Wiltshire countryside can be converted into an indoor racket sports venue.Wiltshire Times · 9 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Wiltshire Council · Yarnfield Manor · Maiden Bradley · Warminster · Duke's Lane

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