In article , Chris Nellist
writes
Kay Easton wrote in
:

Oh, come off it! If all the converted barns in the Yorkshire Dales
were to start have 1 acre gardens around them, it would change the
character a great deal!

I don't see that as a problem though, and definitely not as something
anti-social. It's not the same as the enclosure of common land or open
moorland, which is indeed anti-social.

I do see it as a problem! The bare limestone scenery is something we
don't have a lot of.

And as for anti-social - it could have an adverse effect on tourism, on
which many peoples livelihoods depend.

Not to mention further reducing habitats for wild flowers.

OK, I know you're saying that in Ireland that
hasn't happened, but in Ireland you don't have such pressure on
buildings as we do here, or so many people wanting second homes or
retirement homes

In parts of western Ireland, there are quite a lot of second homes and
indeed purpose-built second homes.

In the Dales and other similar areas of natural beauty, whole villages
are almost entirely second homes, and there are more barn conversions
than original barns
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm