Antrim and Newtownabbey·LDP 2030 Plan Strategy (adopted 2025)·Page 161·7.63
Conversion of Vernacular and Locally Important Buildings to Dwellings
The conversion of locally important countryside buildings no longer viable for their original purpose, such as former schoolhouses, churches and traditional barns, represents a sustainable development approach and may be essential to their preservation.
Due to changes in the rural economy, there are examples of locally important buildings in the countryside, which are no longer viable for their original purpose. These can include former schoolhouses, churches and older traditional barns. The re-use and sympathetic conversion of these types of buildings can represent a sustainable approach to development in the countryside and for certain buildings, may be the key to their preservation (see also Policy DM 36).
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