Eco pods have landed

Field barns scattered across a valley floor are one of the hallmarks of the Dales landscape. But what were once an essential part of Dales farms are being abandoned and left to decay. Across the National Park thousands of them are slowly falling into dereliction, no longer needed in a changing agricultural world and too expensive to repair.

What were once useful assets have become liabilities, not only for their owners but also potentially for the tourism businesses which rely upon a beautiful landscape to draw visitors.

Many of the plum roadside buildings have already been snapped up as homes but others, especially in isolated locations, are not suitable or have been blocked by planners worried about creeping suburbanisation.

The park authority estimates that more than 2,000 are already classed as being in either "poor" or "very bad" condition and it knows the situation can only get worse. Even so Dales planners have been reluctant to allow the barns to be converted, worried that the character of the national park would be changed forever with open countryside being lost if each barn became a house surrounded by all the paraphernalia of modern living

Now, however, at least some may be saved.

It's thanks to a revolutionary idea to bring them back into use without affecting the appearance of the surrounding countryside. Architects based 200 miles away in Bath have come up with the idea of building eco-pods inside the shell of the barns, invisible from the outside but offering modern office, workshops or living accommodation hidden within. The idea already has the cautious backing of the National Park Authority and the Bolton Abbey Estate.

A not-for-profit Feildbarns Trust has been set up to manage the scheme and seek the money needed to get the project under way. The architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, believe their idea could save countless buildings across the country, safeguarding rural jobs and skills while protecting the landscape. The project manager, Clare Hughes, stresses the driving force behind the trust is building preservation, not development. The crucial difference between the eco-pods and a normal conversion, she says, is that although the barn must be repaired and made weatherproof its appearance is not changed in any way. The free-standing pod can be removed at any time, leaving the barn in its original condition.

A trial pod was installed last year in a barn at Howbeck, near Bolton Abbey. The estate manager, Ben Heyes, says that while the idea is still at an early stage the first results look promising.

"There are so many of these redundant buildings but so little money to look after them," he said. "Thousands are falling into decay because they simply have no economic use. One option is just let them drop out of the landscape because they represent a time that has gone. Or you might take the view that particular ones should be saved, because of where they are or they are particularly good examples.

"They might attract grants in a few cases but even if you had the money to repair them as a one-off it is not sustainable in the long term. If there is no use for them you could throw 50,000 at it and in 20 years it will all be to do again. The other alternative is that you find

an innovative solution that makes economic sense and that is where the barn pods come in."

Under the plan, the trust would lease the barn from the owner, find the new tenant and manage the conversion. Rent over the period of the lease would pay for the repair and maintenance of the barn and fund future pods while providing extra income for farmers.

Cashing-in is not the motive. Clare Hughes adds: "This is not a money-making project. The trust is a not-for-profit charity and is very much about finding a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way of using these buildings.

"We have shown with the Howbeck barn that it can work. The next stage is to raise funds for more eco-pods to be installed and the ultimate aspiration for the trust is to have as many barns as possible, not just in the Dales but nationally. We're already talking to people in the Peak District, Dartmoor and Exmoor."

She explained that pods could be designed for barns to be used as weekend accommodation, offices, meeting places, educational groups or for volunteer organisations needing storage or workshops.

But they would not appeal to everyone. Although the pods would be built to high specification, planning permissions are likely to limit some of the home comforts. Toilets are likely to be composting, bottled gas is the most likely fuel and isolated barns seldom come with electricity. Many are also tucked away from roads and can only be reached on foot. For many people of course, that spartan prospect will be part of the attraction.

Gary Smith, the Yorkshire Dales' head of conservation and planning policy, says: "We're not sure how many barns will be suitable. But we think the scheme has potential as a way of bringing barns back into use without an external impact, which is one of the key issues. We've always been supportive of proposals for economic use, but it's fair to say we don't see this as a way of delivering housing or permanent residential accommodation.

"We'd now like to see another four or five pods installed with a range of uses in different locations to see how they work in reality. At the same time we're conducting a survey of all the field barns to see what we might be able to do. Not all will be suitable and some would be more expensive than others which is where the trust comes in. Because they would be managing the whole project they can bring users and barns together.

"It will not be the solution for every barn but it might be the solution for a lot of them," he said.

Details www.feildbarn.com or from Clare Hughes on 01225 852545.

YP MAG 9/10/10