A local sheep farmer has lost a bid to build a holiday let cabin on farm land after taking the matter all the way to the government inspectorate.

As the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported, Brook Farm in Meer End originally applied for permission to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in 2024.

In the planning application Richard Cobb, a chartered town planner acting on behalf of applicant Kate Aldersley, said an existing let had already proved popular.

A planning statement said: "Brook Farm is a small working farm of approximately 10 hectares.

"The farm currently has a flock of sheep.

"The cabin is intended solely for the purposes of a holiday let for temporary holiday occupation to add to the existing holiday let which has resulted from conversion and extension to one of the nearby barns in 2021.

"That has been very popular with tourist visitors through Airbnb and has helped improve and diversify the economy of the farm.

"The additional cabin in this present application seeks to add to that diversification and increase the farm income to help support the farm and maintain present farming regime and livestock herd.

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"There is increasing need and demand for short-term holiday accommodation in this area in support of the rural economy and diversification of the farm itself."

But in April last year officer Mark Andrews, the council's head of planning, design and engagement service, issued a decision notice refusing planning permission.

He wrote: "The proposed development amounts to inappropriate development in the green belt.

"It is not considered that the circumstances put forward in support of the proposed development clearly outweigh this harm, and any other harm and therefore they do not amount to the very special circumstances that would need to be demonstrated."

The applicant then appealed that decision to the government's planning inspectorate.

But after a site visit it has emerged that in December inspector Lewis Conde ruled with the council and dismissed the appeal.

"Permission for tourism accommodation already exists at Brook Farm, but the evidence before me indicates this involved conversion of an existing barn building that is more closely related to other buildings on the appellant's landholding," the inspector wrote.

"The proposal is inappropriate development in the green belt and it would result in modest harm to openness.

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"I find that the other considerations in this case, together, do not clearly outweigh the harm that I have identified.

"Consequently, very special circumstances do not exist to justify the proposal."

(Header image by Robin Stott via geograph.org.uk)