CONSERVATIONISTS are calling for plans to turn Victorian farm buildings into residential homes to be sent back to the drawing board.

Developer Southlands Management Ltd wants to convert outbuildings at Home Farm, a working dairy and arable farm, near Hutton Village, Guisborough, into eight homes.

The buildings, including stables, cart shed, and granary, were recently upgraded to a Grade II listing and lie within a proposed conservation area for the Hutton village area, popular with walkers, cyclists and horseriders.

Although in a poor state of repair, the buildings contain interesting machinery, including an 1881 turbine, a hydraulic hoist and a straw and riddle extractor from the same era.

The Council for the Protection of Rural England, which is opposing the plans, believes the site is in a landscape area that should remain unspoilt by inappropriate development.

In a report to the North York Moors National Park Authority planning committee, the council said: "Any development would open the door for the developer to submit further applications."

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings also believes the application should be refused, but said that if it did go ahead, the machinery should be preserved and made available for inspection by the public without being moved.

English Heritage said the scheme was too intensive and English Nature is concerned that, despite no definitive evidence of bats being present at the site, there is a high risk that it is used by small numbers of bats at some time during the year.

The Friends of Home Farm Action Group, initially formed to protect the farmer's livelihood and ensure that farming continues at the farm, is not objecting to the planning application, but does not want the Victorian hydraulic machinery preserved in a residential area, and wants assurance that existing trees will be protected and replanting will be carried out.

Guisborough Bridleways Group is worried about potential dangers to horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians who use the bridleway, arising from the increase in traffic.

Members of the park planning committee will consider the application at their meeting at 10.30am on Thursday at Helmsley.

Steve Hesmondhalgh, from Blackett, Hart and Pratt, in Darlington, agents for Southlands Management, said: "We have worked closely with English Heritage and the park authority and put together a scheme which we feel addresses all the issues raised. We hope it will be passed at the meeting on Thursday.