£180,000 barn may have to be pulled down (From Warrington Guardian)

£180,000 barn may have to be pulled down

A BURTONWOOD farmer, who has started to build a £180,000 barn to replace six that have been destroyed by fire, may have to knock it down.

John Abbey, of Brook Head Farm on Tan House Lane, decided to begin building the super-barn after the latest fire in March last year, without realising that he needed planning permission.

And on Wednesday night last week, he faced the borough council's development control committee in a bid to continue to build the structure, after planning officers recommended that it should be pulled down.

Mr Abbey, aged 59, told the committee that, contrary to the officers' report, the building was not too big and would be used.

He added: "The building costs £180,000 and if I had reduced the size of the building to what it was, I would have saved £36,000, which would have benefited me."

Councillors decided that they needed a closer look at the site before making a decision, and the item will come back before the committee in March.