A dilapidated18th century barn and cottages complex on the outskirts of an East Lancashire township is set to become three large modern homes.

Emma Carter has applied for planning permission for the conversion at Hoyle Bottom Farm, in Pot House Lane, Oswaldtwistle.

She has asked Hyndburn Council to approve the scheme for the second time after previous permission for a similar project in July 2019 lapsed.

The planning application is for 'the conversion of a barn to dwelling including two-storey extension, combining two cottages into one, two-storey side extension to end cottage, two detached garages and associated residential curtilage, perimeter fencing, car parking and tree planting'.

A supporting heritage statement says: "Hoyle Bottom Farm, which comprises the farmhouse, an attached barn, two attached cottages and a detached outbuilding is now redundant and the buildings are in need of repair to prevent them from becoming dilapidated.

"The site/buildings previously received planning approval in July 2019 for conversion and extension to create three large dwellings but this approval has now lapsed.

"This application is therefore a resubmission of the same proposal that was previously approved, just with a few changes to the fenestration on the West elevation which will now become the rear of the houses.

"The site is located on the outskirts of Oswaldtwistle, approximately 400 metres from Broadfield, which is a main road leading to Haslingden and Blackburn.

"The farm is believed to have been first established and the buildings built around 1720, although there is only anecdotal evidence for this.

"The buildings are arranged in a laithe farm style as a two-storey farmhouse with an attached barn to the north and two workers' cottages attached to the south.

"There are then various single-storey appendages, namely Shippon 1 on the east side of the barn, Shippon 2 on the north side, a Calf House on the east corner of the barn, a large porch on the east side and the remains of a porch.

"The cottages resemble a short row of traditional terraced houses found in all mill towns that were built as mill workers' houses.

"The proposal is to convert the barn to a dwelling including erecting a two-storey extension; combine the two middle cottages into one; erect a two-storey side extension to the end cottage to form a third dwelling; and erect two detached garages.

"The proposed scheme will retain and enhance the character of the barn and the attached dwellings and will improve the appearance by removing the more recently added poor quality brick-built shippons and calf house to be replaced with stone-built extensions.

"The linear character of the laithe farm will be maintained."