Reroofing an old barn before converting

[SilliamWhale]

I have an old brick barn here that the slate roof is failing on and needs total repair. The thing is I do have plans to convert it to a dwelling but not yet.

So if I reroofed it as a farm building there's nothing wrong with that is there? What about if I put new concrete slab around it because I'm concerned about the foundations around it?

What are the specific rules about what would be tax deductible for a farm building even if there is a longer term intention to turn it into a dwelling. Just wondering what is worth doing and what isn't rather than being nakedly dodgy.

 

[George from SJM Planning]

I have an old brick barn here that the slate roof is failing on and needs total repair. The thing is I do have plans to convert it to a dwelling but not yet.

So if I reroofed it as a farm building there's nothing wrong with that is there? What about if I put new concrete slab around it because I'm concerned about the foundations around it?

What are the specific rules about what would be tax deductible for a farm building even if there is a longer term intention to turn it into a dwelling. Just wondering what is worth doing and what isn't rather than being nakedly dodgy.

If you are planning on turning it into a dwelling under Class Q of the GPDO i.e Permitted Development then I would be very careful about doing too much.

It may be better to get the foundations checked out by a structural engineer before doing too much.

Depending on your local authority, it may be possible to get the PD permission on the barn, start the work and then go back to the council with a full application to demolish and rebuild based on the fact that during the conversion you found the building to need structural work. We have some councils which have allowed us to do this and some that see it as bending the rules too much.

Please feel free to send me a PM or an email at [email protected].