AN emotional appeal by a farmer convinced councillors to defy the advice of planning officers and allow the reconstruction and residential conversion of a collapsed barn near Clapham.

Craven District Council's planning committee, which had minutes earlier turned down similar plans for a former cattle shed in Austwick, said the scheme for Bence Barn, Keasden Road, differed in that it had in the past been given planning permission.

There was also a strong argument to allow the development to go ahead so the family could stay together on the farm.

The committee had been recommended to turn down the Wallbank family's application to rebuild the almost totally destroyed barn at Keasden Road as a live-work unit.

Although councillors had indicated their support when the application had first come before them in December, officers still strongly recommended refusal on the basis very little of the original barn remained standing.

Planning manager Neville Watson said the amount of rebuilding needed meant it would be a new building in the open countryside and against council and national planning policy.

But an emotional Karen Wallbank said she felt like she was in the 'last chance saloon'. Her husband, George had followed his ancestors on to the farm and their son wanted to continue after them. Conversion of the barn would allow them to keep their autistic daughter close to the family where she could receive care, she said.

"The trusses and the slates are all there, they are just on the ground. It did have planning permission, we just want to refurbish it so we can live there quietly," she said.

Ward councillor David Ireton distanced the Wallbank's application from the Austwick scheme and pointed out it had had planning permission and that it was unfortunate that the building had either fallen down or been demolished in a storm.

"This is not something that is new, this is the reconstruction of a barn that there was planning permission for," he said.

And he urged the committee to feel compassion to the needs of the family and to allow the daughter to stay living close where she could receive the care she needed.

Cllr Carl Lis, who moved approval of the scheme, said: "This is a live, work unit that we need and which will help the family in the future."

And Cllr Robert Heseltine said in policy terms, the committee should refuse the application, but councillors were told they should treat applications on their own merit.

"In my opinion as a layman, there is substantial mitigation in terms of the applicant. There is a clear local need and in this instance, the applicant's family is a material planning consideration."