A FARMER who changed the use of a barn without permission can continue using it as a furniture auction house and salesroom, despite some neighbours objecting.

While Westbury Parish Council and some residents opposed the retrospective application for Adsett Farm on the village’s Adsett Lane, Forest planners approved the Barn Auction House scheme.

Planning agent Russell Ranford, acting on behalf of the landowner, said the barn had been used for storing household clearance items sold on eBay and other e-commerce sites since August 2015.

He told planners: “In an attempt to diversify the income of the farm, the online business has gradually evolved into the barn being used as a showroom/retail facility and since August 2017 has been used for a weekly auction on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 9pm.”

Viewing also now took place up to six days a week, with up to 35 cars at the auction night, he added.

Neighbour Gill Warner opposed the change of use, saying: “The business will create a lot of extra traffic in a narrow lane that is difficult to pass in. There are lorries leaving the timber works in Church Lane to access the A48 that regularly get stuck in the lane.”

She also claimed access onto the A48 was very difficult and she had “grave concerns” about emergency services getting through to Adsett and Northwood Green.

Former Westbury par­ish councillor Anna Tempest said she was “alarmed” at the idea of an increase in activity at the barn and was concerned about road safety given the nearby timber yard and computer recycling centre, and the lane’s use by school buses and farm machinery.

“Getting out onto the A48 can be a bit of a nightmare, particularly turning right across the traffic flow because of the speed at which vehicles can suddenly appear down Wintles Hill,” she said.

Bob Newby told planners a “serious accident” had occurred at the entrance into the barn, caused by a vehicle hitting the pallets forming a step as a pedestrian was exiting.

“The pedestrian was thrown onto the bonnet of the vehicle,” he said, and also claimed that vehicles had become stuck in the mud churned up by the use of a field to accommodate parking.

“The applicants have to use a tractor to extricate them. Due to the mud, they have now unlawfully infilled a large area of agricultural land with 20 tonnes of hardcore to facilitate parking,” he added.

But not everyone was opposed. Ann Dunphy, who lives next door to the farm, said: “It is so nice to see a business harking back to a time when furniture wasn’t just a throw away thing... I hate seeing things thrown into landfill, it is ever so wasteful.”

Auction visitor Janet Mayo added: “I cannot understand why anyone would oppose this application. Auctions are an excellent way of recycling, which surely given the current climate, should be encouraged.”