A family’s plan to convert a barn into a new home in the face of "astronomical" housing prices have been put on hold after councillors asked for more information to help grant planning permission.

Michael and Elizabeth Sterling had applied for permission to convert the barn at Gluvian Farm, Mawgan Porth into a home.

Under the proposals, which went before Cornwall Council’s central sub-area planning committee on Thursday, the single storey building would have three bedrooms and parking outside.

Mrs Sterling addressed the committee and explained that they did not want to make any changes to the structure of the building and just the inside.

Planning officers had recommended that the application should be refused, saying that it was in the open countryside and not in a settlement. Officers also felt that it was not a conversion as considerable amounts of work would be required. They said that it was tantamount to a new building in the countryside.

Mawgan-in-Pydar Parish Council had supported the plans saying that they believed it was in a recognised settlement and that it was a sustainable location.

Mrs Sterling told councillors that her husband had lived in the hamlet all his life and that they are active members of the community.

She explained: “We can’t afford to buy in the parish and it is a long distance before you can find somewhere affordable.”

Mrs Sterling said that market value prices were “astronomical” and said that the family wanted to be able to live at the site where they run a campsite.

She said: “It would provide housing for our business, for our family and for our son to stay at his school where has been at pre-school.”

Local Cornwall councillor Paul Wills gave his support for the planning application saying: “I went to visit the site myself and what she (Mrs Sterling) is not telling you is they are currently living in a caravan on site with their young son.”

Cllr Wills said that he considered it to be within a settlement and said there had already been “considerable development” in the area.

And he said that the family had been in the area for generations: “We are encouraging young people to build their own homes if they can. This is a prime example, we as an authority should be encouraging this.”

He added: “It is somewhere for a young family to live, we are on the verge of declaring a housing crisis here in Cornwall, barn conversions should be actively encouraged to keep local people in the area to provide a house for themselves and their family.”

Committee member Shorne Tilbey proposed that the application be refused based on the recommendation of planning officers.

Committee chair Alan Jewell said that councillors wanted to help the couple but said that it would be better to refuse permission so they could come back with a revised plan which would make the home affordable.

But Michael Bunney said that it would be better to defer the application so that the couple could provide more information which might make it acceptable.

He said that “Cornwall Council has a responsibility to build homes for local people” and said that while the application did not fit all policies it was one solution for the couple.

Cllr Bunney said he did not see the site as being open countryside and said it would be better to allow one home to be built on a site like that proposed “rather than 500 homes built on the edge of a village or town”.

The proposal to refuse permission was lost with four votes in favour, five against and one abstention. However the proposal to defer was carried with nine votes in favour and one against.