"Simon Hawthorne" wrote in message
...

I am told my a neighbour that the guy who owned the house before me
tried to get planning permission to convert the barn into a 'care
home' - but there was a problem with the foundations? I cannot verify
this by speaking with the old owner but can anyone point me in the
right direction.

Local council. If plan were really submitted, they
will let you have a look (and I'd have expected it
to be mentioned when you were buying the house).
Although PP may not be bothered about foundations

I don't want to waste time planning the conversion
only to find there IS a problem with the foundations...

Or, dig down a foot or two and see what you find.

http://www.thehawthornes.org

Looks at new pictures of single-skin brick two-storey
barn with weak walls, tie-bars etc. I don't think anyone
would bother just underpinning those walls - although
the gable end above the 'workshop' looked OK.