VILLAGERS fear it could be "a barn too many" as plans for a new storage shed opposite a row of houses is recommended for approval.

Sean Pattinson has applied to Durham County Council for planning permission to build a barn east of New Row in Oakenshaw.

Mr Pattinson said the building would be used to store agricultural equipment and vehicles as well as livestock, with six sheep pens and a holding pen, for lambing and sick sheep.

But 25 residents have written letters objecting to the barn with many saying the farm building will ruin the rural scenes.

Council planning officer Adam Williamson is recommending the plans be approved by the authority’s planning committee at their meeting next week.

Mr Pattinson wants to build the barn on a field currently used for grazing livestock.

He said it would be carefully designed to match another barn on a neighbouring site and one resident wrote a letter of support for the plan.

Objectors said there are already two barns in close proximity to the planned building, which would be 4.4m tall, 17.6m long and 9m wide.

One resident said: “I think this would be a barn too many.

“We now have two barns very close to a beautiful, peaceful, rural village.”

Another said: “I believe that any building and related traffic would disturb the fauna and flora of this land situated next to woodland and ponds.”

Other objectors also raised concerns that the barn might be used for other purposes with some claiming it could be the base for a car sale business.

But Mr Pattinson said it would be only used for agricultural purposes and Mr Williamson said conditions would be imposed banning using the barn for storage, repair or sales of motor vehicles.

Mr Williamson said the existence of two barns did cause concern but Mr Pattinson has agreed to site the proposed building with landscaping to limit the impact on the view from New Row.

The committee will meet at 2pm at Crook Civic Centre on Thursday (May 8).