OBJECTORS have lost their fight to stop farm barns being turned into holiday homes in a ''honeypot'' Suffolk village.Orford, near Woodbridge, has a quarter of its properties taken up by second home owners and it is believed that some of these are used for holiday lets.

OBJECTORS have lost their fight to stop farm barns being turned into holiday homes in a ''honeypot'' Suffolk village.

Orford, near Woodbridge, has a quarter of its properties taken up by second home owners and it is believed that some of these are used for holiday lets.

Suffolk Preservation Society told the district council that if there was a shortage of holiday accommodation it was probably more for bed and breakfast facilities.

The Society, which described the village as a honeypot, warned that a costly investment would be required to convert the 18th century barns at Chantry Farm, Broad Street, Orford, into seven holiday homes and a three-bedroom house. It was worried that if the project failed to generate enough money there would be pressure to adapt the buildings into permanent homes.

Orford and Gedgrave parish council also objected and said the application had been made by a local property developer. ''Orford appears to have more holiday lets than the market can currently bear. With simple internal changes there is potential for permanent homes. This must be ruled out.

''Ever increasing volumes of traffic makes this area of the village a danger zone and already the additional traffic from the adjacent newly built development are causing problems,'' said the parish council.

The district council's development control sub committee has approved the plans and officers are discussing the design of the converted barns.