One project that ticks all the boxes is the restoration of the 18th Century Grade II* Listed North Barn at Itchenor Park Farm in Chichester Harbour National Landscape, which was awarded a £281,000 FiPL Heritage Building Repair Grant in 2024. 

Built in 1783, North Barn forms one of four brick-built structures set around a rectangular courtyard. Heritage buildings are an intrinsic part of the natural beauty of National Landscapes – local cultural features are important factors in an area’s unique sense of place and form part of the reason for designation.

Over the years North Barn had been altered several times to meet the requirements of agricultural use. In the 1950’s, it was converted to a grain store, which involved adding modern structures inside to house grain drying equipment, and the original doors and windows were bricked in at the same time. 

Over the years North Barn had been altered several times to meet the requirements of agricultural use. In the 1950’s, it was converted to a grain store, which involved adding modern structures inside to house grain drying equipment, and the original doors and windows were bricked in at the same time. 

In recent years, the barn had become redundant and fallen into disrepair. Water ingress had rotted the roof timbers and uprights had partially collapsed.

North Barn is in a prominent position, close to a right of way, and visible to many local people and visitors. Michelle Rossiter, FiPL Officer at Chichester Harbour National Landscape worked with landowner Patrick Green to develop a plan which would enable the building to continue to contribute to the area’s sense of place, bring it back into regular use and make it safe. 

Natural England applied conditions to the roofing repairs, reflecting North Barn’s Grade II* listed status and supplied a Protected Species Licence (PSL) as a bat survey had identified that the barn was used as a day roost for at least six species of bat, including the rare grey long eared bat. The PSL allowed the creation of a large bat loft above the main doors with fly through access points in the main and internal doors. 

The restoration work, undertaken by architect Alex Hall of Douglas Briggs Partnership and builder Pinnacle Works has sensitively brought North Barn back to its original form, ensuring long term sustainability, structural integrity and preservation of its historic character – and it still provides a home to grey long eared bats. 

Owner Patrick Green is delighted with the outcome of the project, highlighting the importance of the FIPL grant and advice in making it happen: 

‘Without the help and support of the local FIPL Advisor the North Barn project would have been unlikely to have been completed. We were working to very tight timescales to obtain Listed Building Consent, complete the FIPL grant application and finalise the tendering process for the building work. The guidance and help of our FIPL Advisor was crucial to completing all the steps by the due date and then processing the contract payments during the works toward an award winning outcome.’

The barn has now begun a new chapter, helping the local community as UK Harvest, an agricultural charity which collects excess food and supplies it to local food banks and schools for families on low incomes has taken up residence. 

The icing on the cake was the fantastic news in July 2025 that the North Barn restoration project had been awarded the commercial category prize at the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards.