PLANNERS who gave the green light to the conversion of barns currently in use at a Rock farm into housing were warned they were setting a "very dangerous precedent".

Councillor Jim Cooper told Wyre Forest District Council's planning (development control) committee he was worried farms would be "queuing up" with similar applications if the bid by Rock Farm to convert two L-shaped range of barns into four homes was approved.

But district planning officer Mike Parker told the meeting on Tuesday the Government recommendation was for planning authorities to be "much more sympathetic" to the farming industry, particularly in view of the foot and mouth crisis.

A report by Mr Parker said the farm also contained more modern agricultural buildings which were also in active use.

John Wardle said he had never known an application to convert a barn in active agricultural use into housing come with a recommendation for approval by officers before, and asked whether there had been a change in planning policy.

Mr Parker said the current advice was barns did not have to be redundant before an application to convert could be approved.

Michael Grinnall described the trend to turn barns and other agricultural buildings into housing as "unfortunate".

The committee heard one of the buildings could date back to the 16th century and might need to be listed.