Retention and refurbishment of non-listed vernacular dwellings in the countryside

The retention and sympathetic refurbishment, with adaptation if necessary, of non-listed vernacular dwellings in the countryside will be encouraged in preference to their replacement. Proposals involving the replacement of such dwellings will be assessed as follows: (a) If the dwelling makes an important contribution to the heritage, appearance or character of the locality, planning permission will only be granted where it is demonstrated that it is not reasonably capable of being made structurally sound or otherwise improved; or (b) If the dwelling does not make an important contribution to the heritage, appearance or character of the locality, planning permission will be granted for a replacement dwelling. In such cases, the Council will support the retention of the existing structure to be sympathetically incorporated into the layout of the overall development scheme, for example as ancillary accommodation or a store, to form an integrated building group.