A CHAIGLEY farming family has been told it can build a farm worker's dwelling on land adjacent to farm buildings, even though plans were recommended for refusal for a second time.

Messrs Gornall and Partners, of Armridding Farm, had their first application deferred after Ribble Valley planning officers opposed the siting of the house and argued that the farm was not large enough to warrant the businesse's son and partner to live on site.

At the previous hearing the applicant explained the farm reared sheep, pigs and cattle which bred at varying times of the year. It had grown in size over the past 50 years from a little over 30 acres to almost 240 acres and a great deal of investment had been ploughed into the agricultural side of the business.

At the latest planning meeting, the county estates office maintained that it considered there was not a clearly established functional need for a second farm worker to live on the site.

Planning officers recommended refusal of the plans after upholding the county estate officer's views as well as maintaining that the revised site for the dwelling was still too far away from the farm complex -- approximately 60 metres to the north west. They suggested it would be visually detrimental to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, even though it was acknowledged that it was the only suitable position available and there had been no other objections received from nearby residents or the parish council.

However, Coun Harry Backhouse said he remained in favour of the plans confirming there was a definite need for an additional worker to live on site. "It is a genuine, hard worked farm.

"I think that at the last meeting, most of us were of the opinion that there was a need for an additional dwelling and that the only problem was siting."

Members were also told the applicant was willing to have a condition of agricultural occupancy placed on the plans.

The application was finally approved and is to be brought back to the next planning meeting for the appropriate conditions.