The council has given the go-ahead to plans to convert barns into five houses north of Kirkby Lonsdale after resolving concerns raised by the Local Highway Authority.

Members of South Lakeland local area planning committee for Westmorland and Furness Council approved plans to convert barns at Aikrigg Green Farm in Lupton into five four-bedroom homes.

The report prepared for the committee states: “The proposal is acceptable in principle and would have an acceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area, biodiversity and the living conditions of future and nearby occupants.

“Moreover, despite the objection from the Local Highway Authority, the proposal would not have an unacceptable impact on highway safety nor would the residual cumulative impacts on the road network be severe. Therefore, as the proposal accords with the development plan taken as a whole, planning permission should be approved subject to the conditions.”

Representatives from the Local Highways Authority raised concerns in the meeting about how narrow the access road is and proposed the inclusion of passing points to prevent cars waiting on the highway for other vehicles to come up the access road.

The committee in response imposed a condition on the developer to include two passing points on the access road.

According to the planning statement Aikrigg Green Farm is located in open countryside 4km north of Kirkby Lonsdale and 1km west of Old Town.

The barns are 150 years old and constructed with stone and slate roofs. The proposals include the removal of the sheeted buildings that obscure the barns from public view.

The planning statement says the conversion of the barns into houses will ensure the buildings are protected from “slow deterioration” and due to the removal of the sheeted buildings will make a “positive visual impact locally”.

Councillors approved the application on Thursday (November 2) at Kendal Town Hall.