PLANS to convert barns at Grade I listed Fyfield Hall, Fyfield, into five dwellings and build six other dwellings as part of the development following the demolition of various commercial buildings are being welcomed by villagers and the parish council.

And next Wednesday evening the district council's area plans committee is being recommended to approval the application relating to land behind the Willingale Road home.

Three historic barns and a listed dovecot are set to be converted to create two two-bedroom and three three-bedroom homes while a range of commercial buildings are to be replaced with six properties - a five-bedroom farmhouse-style dwelling, four semi-detached cottages and a three-bedroom barn-style dwelling.

The application also includes creation of a wildflower meadow between the two areas of development and a managed riverside walk.

A planning officer's report to the meeting states: "Although the development is inappropriate in the green belt, it is considered that there are very special circumstances sufficient to outweigh the harm to the green belt that would result.

"The proposals will improve the openness of the green belt and greatly improve the setting of the grade1listed Hall, while reducing traffic within the rural area and improving the landscape and ecology of the area.

"The proposals have the potential to form a very attractive and beneficial scheme."