A COUPLE has won a planning appeal to keep a metal flue they added onto the side of an historic barn in Bishopton.

The threat of enforcement action by Darlington Borough Council on Robert and Emma Wall was lifted after a planning inspector gave listed building consent for the wood burning stove flue at 1 Manor Farm Court.

The agricultural long barn dates back to at least 1856 and is attached to the Grade II listed Manor Farmhouse which, according to the council, meant it was also listed.

The Walls installed the black painted flue earlier this year, believing they did not need listed building consent, but complaints let to the council issuing the enforcement notice.

Planning inspector Anthony Wharton said he agreed with the council that the barn was worthy of listed status and was an important example of an historic former agricultural building in the village.

But he said the significance of the listed building or its conservation had not been harmed by the flue, which was less intrusive to its preservation than work previously carried out on the building, for which consent had been granted.

He added: “Whilst acknowledging that consent should have been sought for the works and although it is in a prominent position, in the particular circumstances the flue is a practical, acceptable and pragmatic solution to secure the viable use of the sustainable wood-burning stove installed in the property.”

In granting listed building consent, Mr Wharton added that metal flues on some of the attractive older properties in the village were even more noticeable and intrusive than that subject to appeal.