1. Proposals for the adaptation and re-use of existing rural buildings will be permitted where:
   
   1. The building has direct access to the rural distributor road network and is accessible by a range of means of travel and transport from the nearest Main Town, Green Belt Market Town, Local Service Centre or other rural settlement with a development boundary identified on the Proposals Map; and
      
   2. The building is of permanent and substantial construction and its form, scale, bulk and general design is in keeping with the surroundings; and
      
   3. The building is capable of adaptation and re-use without major or complete reconstruction, alteration or enlargement; or
   4. Irrespective of the foregoing, adaptation and re-use is the only means of preventing the loss or deterioration of a listed building, or of a building that makes an essential contribution to the group value of listed buildings and their setting, or of a building that warrants retention because of its unique local architectural or historic interest or contribution to the landscape.
      
2. If the building is deemed to be suitable for adaptation and re-use in accordance with the foregoing criteria, the use to which the building may be put will be determined having regard to the extent to which it is capable of fulfilling the following order of land use objectives:
   

Economic objectives:

5. Farm diversification, in accordance with policy ECON8 or, failing that
6. Provision of local services and facilities for which there is an identified need and for which no planned provision has been made within the nearest settlement having a development boundary or, failing that
7. Facilitating public access to and enjoyment of the countryside for the sake of its beauty, the diversity of its landscape and historic character, its geological, ecological, agricultural and archaeological value, and for quiet recreational pursuits or, failing that
8. Employment provision in the form of managed workspace/starter units of no more than 500 sq m in total.

3. Only if the building can be demonstrated not to be suitable for any of those uses will the following additional order of land use objectives apply:

Housing Objectives

4. 9. Provision of local needs housing in accordance with policy HSG2, or HSG3 or, failing that
   10. Increasing the supply of locally affordable housing or, failing that (xi) Provision of live/work units or, failing that
   11. Contributing to the range and supply of market housing.
5. Any such scheme will also be required protect or enhance the local environment by satisfying each of the following criteria:
   12. The proposal would not give rise to any additional hazard or impediment to the safe and free movement of pedestrian, vehicular and other traffic on the rural road network, particularly as a result of heavy vehicle usage.
   13. The proposal would not cause pollution or the risk of pollution in consequence of a lack of foul or surface water drainage.
   14. The proposal would respect the inherent characteristics of the layout, structure and design of the building, and would preserve any special architectural or historic interest that the building may have.
   15. The setting of the building in the landscape would not be compromised, especially by external parking and storage areas or garden structures including boundary walls and fences.
6. Conditions may also be imposed withdrawing defined classes of permitted development rights in order to control future enlargement and/or alteration.