PLANS to build a barn near Hay-on-Wye will be decided by councillors next week.

The application by Edward Morris of Milton Farm, Pembridge near Leominster in Herefordshire, is for a steel portal framed building measuring 18.3 metres long, 24.4 metres wide and at it’s highest 10.8 metres, on land near Llowes Court.

The application will be discussed at Powys County Council’s planning committee next Thursday, April 8 as it  has been “called in” the local county councillor James Gibson-Watt.

Cllr Watt (Glasbury – Liberal Democrat), believes that the application could affect the “sensitive landscape” of the Wye Valley and because it is close to three listed buildings, Llowes Court, the former Radnor Arms pub and St Meilig’s church in Llowes.

“It raises important issues of policy, with regard to the potential visibility of the structure,” said Cllr Gibson-Watt.

Environment body, Natural Resources Wales (NRW)  have also raised “significant concerns” about the development.

They point to new guidance that they issued in January to combat increasing phosphate levels in rivers that are part of Speacial Areas of Conservation, (SAC) which includes the River Wye.

NRW development planning advisor, Debra Renshaw, said:  “In our opinion, any new development which is likely to increase the concentration of organic materials discharged directly or indirectly into River Wye catchment has the potential to increase phosphate levels causing further deterioration of the special features that the SAC is designated for.”

“As a result, new development proposals must be able to demonstrate that

there is no likely significant effect to the SAC.”

They would like to see more detail of what would be stored in the building and whether it would cause drainage issues.

The applicant, Mr Morris  has explained that he has bought 322 acres of arable land near Llowes Court and he needs the building for storing crop machinery.

PCC planning case officer Charlotte Ford recommends approving the scheme.

Ms Ford, said: “The proposal is for a new agricultural building to reinstate existing agricultural buildings which have been demolished and relocate the building approximately 80 metres to the west and further away from the  listed buildings.”

“It is considered that the proposed development is unlikely to increase

phosphate inputs and therefore complies with relevant planning policy.

“Given the distance between the proposed agricultural building and the surrounding environment it is not considered that the proposed would have a detrimental impact or harm the setting of the listed buildings.”

Ms Ford believes that the application does not have a:  “detrimental impact on the special qualities of the Powys landscape.”