The owners of three farm buildings which have been run as a holiday let business for four years without planning permission have applied for formal consent.

Applicant Russell Jones has applied for a lawful use certificate for the buildings at Hayford Farm in Westbury, between Welshpool and Shrewsbury, which would grant planning permission for the development and make it immune from enforcement action.

So-called Certificates for Lawful Existing Use or Development (CLEUDs), certify an existing development as lawful on the basis that it has been in continuous operation for a set period of time.

Supporting documentation including holiday reviews of the cottages have been supplied by the applicants as evidence that the buildings have been rented out as holiday lets since 2019.

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“It is the applicant’s case that the buildings use on the site subject to this application has been in existence from a time prior to November 2019 and is therefore lawful,” read a supporting statement from Alex Bruce, on behalf of planning agents Berrys.

“There is clear evidence from Sykes Holiday Cottages website and booking records that the buildings named Millstone Cottage, Middle Cottage and Granary Cottage have been active for over 4 years and that pictures were taken and placed on their website over 4 years ago.

“Further to this evidence there are records of reviews on each of these

cottages going back over four years.

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“The evidence provided is sufficiently precise and unambiguous to demonstrate that the use of the buildings and land for C3 use purposes became lawful for all of the buildings in February 2023 at the latest and is still lawful at present.”

Promotional material for the business and its associated developments, including The Granary Courtyard wedding venue, describes the farm as being on a “diversification journey”.

“In 2015, the farm embarked on a journey of diversification, starting with the establishment of traditional holiday cottages,” it said.

“As time went on, the farm underwent further transformations, ultimately ceasing its farming operations entirely in May 2022.”

In 2012, planning permission was granted for an 8.9-megawatt solar installation at Hayford Farm, which was extended in 2014.

A decision will be made by Shropshire Council’s planning department in due course.