Fresh plans to demolish South Downs farm building to make way for new homes

A company known as DSC Henfield is seeking planning permission from Horsham District Council for the development of four new properties at Swains Farm in Brighton Road, Henfield.

Planning approval was previously granted but historic building specialists Manorwood say that the new proposals are ‘more sympathetic’ to the nearby Grade II listed building – Swains Farmhouse.

In a statement to the council, the agents say: “The proposal aims to reinstate a development more akin to the former historic farmyard with the new buildings arranged around a courtyard and designed to reflect traditional agricultural buildings.”

Swains Farm is thought to date from the 16th century. It experienced significant development between the end of the 19th century and the 1940s and had several agricultural buildings built to the west and south of the farmhouse. An historic barn and a cart shed were demolished some time between 1946 and 1955.

Buildings constructed between the late 19th century and early 20th century were removed during the second half of the 20th century and two existing modern agricultural buildings built on their site.

Now it is proposed to demolish one of them which has recently been used to store potatoes grown on Swains Farm.

The agents say it’s a “functional ulitarian building which lacks historical, architectural and aesthetic values. It is, therefore, considered to cause harm to the setting of the listed building and detract from the farmstead’s aesthetic value as a whole.”

It is proposed to site the new homes around a courtyard which, say Manorwood, would “reinstate a development more akin to the original farmyard.”

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They say that the proposed buildings are single-storey structures designed to reflect Sussex tradional agricultural buildings.

They also say that a pond to the south of the site is an historic feature related to Swains Farm and it is planned to reinstate and incorporate it into the proposed scheme.

They add: “The retention of the pond within the proposed farmyard will reinstate a historical connection between the landscape and the working buildings on site.”