Controversial plans to knock down a farm barn and sell the land for a new house in the North Ayrshire countryside have been rejected for being out of keeping with the area.

A North Ayrshire Council 'local review body' (LRB) considered a notice of review following a decision to refuse the project, which would have involved building a single storey house on the site of Mid Lambroughton Farm, north-east of Irvine.

The applicant asked NAC to look again at the decision after a planning application for the site, off the B769 between Irvine and Stewarton, was rejected earlier this year.

Councillors were told the applicant did not want to build a house on the site, near Cunninghamhead, themselves, but to sell the land to another party for them to build on it.

Planning officer Ian Davies told the LRB: “In the absence of detailed design, no cognizance of the council’s housing in the countryside guidance nor outstanding quality of design has been demonstrated.

“Insufficient information has been provided that the proposal would be suitably scaled sited and designed or that it would be in keeping with the character of the area.

“The appellant does not want to develop the site but they want to sell it to someone else who can build something there.

“The site is part of a former farm steading with the original farmhouse to the east. To the south-east is a barn conversion permitted in October 2019, to the north east, a barn conversion permitted in 2018 and beyond is another conversion permitted in 2006.

“All those were conversions granted full planning permission.”

He said the proposal was contrary to the countryside objective of the North Ayrshire local development plan.

Councillor Timothy Billings (Conservative, Arran), vice-chair of the LRB, proposed a motion to stick by the original officers’ decision. This was seconded by Councillor Cameron Inglis (Conservative, Saltcoats and Stevenston) and agreed by the committee.