A courtyard of barns on a Wokingham farm, including one Grade II listed building, are to be converted into new houses after plans were approved by the council. 

Red Rose Developments Ltd, a housing construction company based in Preston, proposed the “retention, restoration and preservation” of the existing barns at Ashridge Farm on Warren House Road by converting them into five homes. 

The applicant claims the development, which is part-retrospective, will give the “disused and redundant” buildings a “new and long-term lease of life”. 

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The farm used to be a large agricultural enterprise, however, the development of the A329(M) has cut the land in two leaving making farming an “unviable operation”. 

The Grade II listed barn, described as being in “poor condition”, forms part of a courtyard enclave consisting of “dilapidated” timber and brick buildings. 

Following approval, all buildings will be converted and rebuilt for residential use, with the surrounding grounds being laid out as parking and garden areas. 

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Three of the barns, referred to as ‘Unit’s 1, 3 and 4’, will be partially rebuilt to form two-bedroom properties, whilst ‘Unit 2’ will undergo a single-storey extension to provide a three-bedroom home. 

‘Unit 5’ is the Grade II listed barn, which will also be converted into a three-bedroom house. 

Construction work is restricted to taking place between 8am and 6pm from Monday to Friday, 8am and 1pm on Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holidays.