PROPOSALS to remove a restriction on the use of two buildings stipulating they can only be used as holiday lets has been refused by Torridge District Council.

Mr and Mrs Allen submitted an application to the district authority seeking permission to remove the restriction in order that they could utilise the properties, known as The Cob and The Red Barn for both holiday usage, as is extant but also to use as normal residential accommodation.

The location was described as: “The site is in a countryside location, approximately 6km to the northwest of Holsworthy, 5.5 miles to the east of Bude, consisting of Venn Farmhouse, which has a linked cob and stone barn holiday let (The Cob) located to the east. A second converted barn holiday let (The Red Barn) is located to the south-east of the farmhouse.

“The wider site, circa 60m to the southwest, also has a 2020 permission for a 4-bed dwelling with holiday occupancy condition. One of the units has been partially built.”

The applicants told Torridge District Council: “This application, in effect, proposes to remove the restriction to holiday use only so that The Cob and The Red Barn can be used as either holiday accommodation or ‘normal’ residential accommodation.

“The effect therefore would not be to remove the capability of the properties to be used for holiday use but would instead create flexibility so that the properties can be used either way.

“Whilst this is a full application as opposed to a removal of condition (Section 73) application, it is considered that the proposal aligns with both the above policy considerations which provides a further policy angle of support for the application. 1.8 Firstly, no major extensions or alterations are proposed, plus the existing buildings provide in excess of the minimum space standards for dwellings in their own right.

Refusing the application, Torridge District Council’s planning department told the applicants: “The loss of the holiday units is unacceptable as the submitted evidence does not amount to 'compelling' evidence.

“The holiday-let business is economically viable and the site has not been presented to the market at a reasonable price. For these reasons, it has not been demonstrated that the holiday units are no longer needed.”

The plans can be viewed by using the Torridge District Council planning reference 1/0246/2025/FUL.