THE creation of an agritourism development that includes the restoration, reuse, and redevelopment of threshing barns and its attached structures has been approved by Herefordshire planners.

The application site, known as ‘Land at Penymoor at Dorstone is a working uplands farm and has a Grade II listed farmhouse as well as a number of curtilage listed barns and outbuildings located to the west of the farmhouse.

The buildings are arranged around two foldyards while farm itself is surrounded by 98 acres of upland pasture and small wooded areas.

The aim of this project is to update Penymoor Farm to be a sustainable rural business, farmed along regenerative agriculture principles.

The approved plans allow for agritourism tourism to take place and involves bringing visitors onto a farm and provide hospitality services that include school visits and recreational activities and entertainment events. These activities provide an additional source of income for farmers and help sustain small-scale farms.

Agritourism benefits surrounding communities by drawing tourists to rural areas, stimulating local economies, and fostering a greater appreciation for agricultural practices and local food systems.

The application is seeking both full and listed building consent for the creation of an agritourism development comprising: the restoration, reuse, and redevelopment of Threshing Barns, attached structures, and Linhay; the erection of a new structure to the west of the threshing barn; and ancillary works including for access, drainage, and landscaping.

The more modern of the outbuildings are to be converted to provide an accommodation unit to allow up to 13 guests to stay on site at any one time.

The application sought to provide the facilities needed to enable the site to offer tourist holiday accommodation and creative retreat spaces.

The replacement barns located to the southwest of the site have been designed to maintain the overall existing view of the barns as a cluster, rather than individual. The farmhouse will remain as existing.

Herefordshire planning officer Heather Carlisle said in conclusion: “We are of the opinion that the public benefits of the proposals would outweigh any residual harm.

The applicant proposes repair, conversion and rebuilding of existing farm buildings to accommodate 22 persons in 11 bedrooms - five bedrooms in farmhouse and six within the conversion. As there already seven bedrooms within the existing farmhouse, there is only a net increase of four bedrooms.

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