A PLAN to restore a former farmhouse and convert a barn into a home near a Ripon village has been turned down by officials.

Planning officers told the applicants that the proposals at Low Farm, in Sharow, would adversely affect the character of the countryside.

Harrogate Borough Council officials also said it was in an unsuitable location, with inadequate access and no nearby services.

They said redevelopment would involve extensive work, and that the changes had no provision for affordable housing, which was against council policies.