Planning applications in the countryside for agricultural, rural commercial and residential purposes are at the very core of what we do.
Rural planning presents its own set of unique challenges. We work with landowners, farmers, entrepreneurs and rural businesses to assess their options to unlock value in their land and assets.
Rural planning presents its own set of unique challenges. We work with landowners, farmers, entrepreneurs and rural businesses to assess their options to unlock value in their land and assets.
Planning Appraisals & Pre Application Enquiries
Appraisals by telephone | Site visit appraisals | Pre Application Advice | Pre Purchase Advice
We look at sites, buildings and uses all day, every day and we're always happy to provide an over-the-phone appraisal of whether an idea has planning potential. We can usually do this from the comfort of the office with a quick desktop assessment and we don't generally charge for this service.
We can also undertake more detailed investigation work as well as providing written opinions where more certainty is required. This work is usually chargeable however if you decide to proceed to a planning application, we generally remove the initial appraisal fee from our final account ensuring that you don't pay for the same work twice.
Class Q
Change of use of agricultural buildings under Permitted Development
Development under Class Q is extremely nuanced. As specialist rural planning consultants with an agricultural background we are very well placed to advise you on the viability of a project and its likelihood of success as well as to provide strategic advice to ensure its success. The most important principle of a Class Q applications is to get your ducks-in-a-row prior to making an application - that is, to confirm that the building is or has been in agricultural use, that it is structurally sound and that it conforms in all other respects to the provisions of the General Permitted Development Order.
Changes of Use
Rural Diversification | Economic Development | Tourism | Visitor attractions | Camping & Glamping
Post Brexit farm policy has resulted in the phasing out of direct payments - a policy which commenced in 2021 with farm subsidies being progressively reduced year-on-yearr. Payments will be removed entirely by 2028. At the current time, replacement schemes are still embryonic and will only be to a level of circa 1/5 of former payments from the European Union. The potential impacts upon farms are therefore very significant. Accordingly 68% of other farms in England are diversified or actively seeking alternative sources of income to remain viable.
Central Government has been pushing farm diversification for many years and continues to support proposals for rural businesses in the countryside. Notwithstanding this, applications for development still need to convince Local Authorities and areas of constraint in the countryside are numerous.
We can advise you on likelihood of success and planning strategy in the first instance. We can identify opportunities for you either under policy or where appropriate under the General Permitted Development Order, and can consider and mitigate other potential constraints, such as highways considerations, ecology, impact upon listed buildings, farm safety and landscape impacts among other things.
Our applications can be supported by demonstration of evidenced need and business plans to show how diversified sources of income can reduce farm income volatility.
Agricultural Occupancy Conditions
Assessment | Marketing | Certificates of Lawfulness | Statutory Declarations | Removal
This is a particular area of speciality. Agricultural Ties can depress property values by as much as 30% if not more. They're also tricky to sell and banks tend not to like lending against them.
Acquiring a Certificate of Lawfulness rendering the breach of a tie as lawful is a fine art. Get it wrong and you'll potentially trigger Enforcement Action from the Local Authority. As a result when we make an application for a Certificate, or the removal of a tie, we will only make that application where we can be 100% certain of its success. This requires a forensic approach and the compilation of overwhelming evidence to ensure success.
Rural Worker's Dwellings
Agricultural Worker's Dwellings | Secondary Dwellings for farm succession | Dwellings for other rural workers | Live-Work units
Rural Worker's Dwellings require irrefutable evidence of an essential need for a rural worker to be within site and sound of an enterprise on a 24 hour basis. Added to this is a need to show confidence that a rural enterprise is financially viable and likely to remain so.
We are Chartered Rural Surveyors, Fellows of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, and hold Undergraduate and Masters Degrees from the Royal Agricultural College. As a result we optimally placed to understand your enterprise, and demonstrate to the Local Authority evidenced need for a Rural Worker's Dwelling.
We do this by understanding your enterprise, assessing a need for a dwelling and showing this need to the Local Authority, supported if necessary by a Business Plan and existing or projected accounts.
Agricultural Buildings
Agricultural Buildings | Horticultural Buildings | Water Tanks | Ponds | Slurry Tanks | Farm Tracks | Polytunnels | Hardstandings
With an agricultural background we are best placed to advise you on the optimum method by which to achieve permission for agricultural development, its siting, design and appearance. Most importantly we can anticipate likely areas of resistance from Local Authorities and integrate into the application mitigation for potential areas of disagreement in advance.
New dwellings in the countryside
Infill Development | Sub-Division | Certificates of Lawfulness | Conversions of redundant rural buildings | Demolition & Re-build | Works to Listed Buildings | Extensions
Notwithstanding our rural background, we undertake a significant volume of residential work as our bread and butter. Many Local Authorities understand that the conversion of redundant rural buildings to residential use in otherwise heavily controlled areas is a sustainable use of an existing resource. Similarly myriad opportunities exist for sensitively placed infill development in towns and villages. We can appraise potential sites for you, identify opportunities for development, provide strategy and costings and take an application through to determination on your behalf
Appeals & Enforcement
Appeals against failed applications | Enforcement remediation for unlawful developments
Planning is increasingly complex. We have significant experience in dealing with failed applications on behalf of developers. We can assess the reasons for your refusal, identify a strategy and compile a response on your behalf to maximise chances of success at Appeal.
Objections
To development | Representation at Committee
We are pro-rural development, but only when it is necessary, in the right place and sensitive to its surroundings and neighbours. Should you feel that a neighbouring development will cause detriment, we can advise you on how to object.
Appraisals by telephone | Site visit appraisals | Pre Application Advice | Pre Purchase Advice
We look at sites, buildings and uses all day, every day and we're always happy to provide an over-the-phone appraisal of whether an idea has planning potential. We can usually do this from the comfort of the office with a quick desktop assessment and we don't generally charge for this service.
We can also undertake more detailed investigation work as well as providing written opinions where more certainty is required. This work is usually chargeable however if you decide to proceed to a planning application, we generally remove the initial appraisal fee from our final account ensuring that you don't pay for the same work twice.
Class Q
Change of use of agricultural buildings under Permitted Development
Development under Class Q is extremely nuanced. As specialist rural planning consultants with an agricultural background we are very well placed to advise you on the viability of a project and its likelihood of success as well as to provide strategic advice to ensure its success. The most important principle of a Class Q applications is to get your ducks-in-a-row prior to making an application - that is, to confirm that the building is or has been in agricultural use, that it is structurally sound and that it conforms in all other respects to the provisions of the General Permitted Development Order.
Changes of Use
Rural Diversification | Economic Development | Tourism | Visitor attractions | Camping & Glamping
Post Brexit farm policy has resulted in the phasing out of direct payments - a policy which commenced in 2021 with farm subsidies being progressively reduced year-on-yearr. Payments will be removed entirely by 2028. At the current time, replacement schemes are still embryonic and will only be to a level of circa 1/5 of former payments from the European Union. The potential impacts upon farms are therefore very significant. Accordingly 68% of other farms in England are diversified or actively seeking alternative sources of income to remain viable.
Central Government has been pushing farm diversification for many years and continues to support proposals for rural businesses in the countryside. Notwithstanding this, applications for development still need to convince Local Authorities and areas of constraint in the countryside are numerous.
We can advise you on likelihood of success and planning strategy in the first instance. We can identify opportunities for you either under policy or where appropriate under the General Permitted Development Order, and can consider and mitigate other potential constraints, such as highways considerations, ecology, impact upon listed buildings, farm safety and landscape impacts among other things.
Our applications can be supported by demonstration of evidenced need and business plans to show how diversified sources of income can reduce farm income volatility.
Agricultural Occupancy Conditions
Assessment | Marketing | Certificates of Lawfulness | Statutory Declarations | Removal
This is a particular area of speciality. Agricultural Ties can depress property values by as much as 30% if not more. They're also tricky to sell and banks tend not to like lending against them.
Acquiring a Certificate of Lawfulness rendering the breach of a tie as lawful is a fine art. Get it wrong and you'll potentially trigger Enforcement Action from the Local Authority. As a result when we make an application for a Certificate, or the removal of a tie, we will only make that application where we can be 100% certain of its success. This requires a forensic approach and the compilation of overwhelming evidence to ensure success.
Rural Worker's Dwellings
Agricultural Worker's Dwellings | Secondary Dwellings for farm succession | Dwellings for other rural workers | Live-Work units
Rural Worker's Dwellings require irrefutable evidence of an essential need for a rural worker to be within site and sound of an enterprise on a 24 hour basis. Added to this is a need to show confidence that a rural enterprise is financially viable and likely to remain so.
We are Chartered Rural Surveyors, Fellows of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, and hold Undergraduate and Masters Degrees from the Royal Agricultural College. As a result we optimally placed to understand your enterprise, and demonstrate to the Local Authority evidenced need for a Rural Worker's Dwelling.
We do this by understanding your enterprise, assessing a need for a dwelling and showing this need to the Local Authority, supported if necessary by a Business Plan and existing or projected accounts.
Agricultural Buildings
Agricultural Buildings | Horticultural Buildings | Water Tanks | Ponds | Slurry Tanks | Farm Tracks | Polytunnels | Hardstandings
With an agricultural background we are best placed to advise you on the optimum method by which to achieve permission for agricultural development, its siting, design and appearance. Most importantly we can anticipate likely areas of resistance from Local Authorities and integrate into the application mitigation for potential areas of disagreement in advance.
New dwellings in the countryside
Infill Development | Sub-Division | Certificates of Lawfulness | Conversions of redundant rural buildings | Demolition & Re-build | Works to Listed Buildings | Extensions
Notwithstanding our rural background, we undertake a significant volume of residential work as our bread and butter. Many Local Authorities understand that the conversion of redundant rural buildings to residential use in otherwise heavily controlled areas is a sustainable use of an existing resource. Similarly myriad opportunities exist for sensitively placed infill development in towns and villages. We can appraise potential sites for you, identify opportunities for development, provide strategy and costings and take an application through to determination on your behalf
Appeals & Enforcement
Appeals against failed applications | Enforcement remediation for unlawful developments
Planning is increasingly complex. We have significant experience in dealing with failed applications on behalf of developers. We can assess the reasons for your refusal, identify a strategy and compile a response on your behalf to maximise chances of success at Appeal.
Objections
To development | Representation at Committee
We are pro-rural development, but only when it is necessary, in the right place and sensitive to its surroundings and neighbours. Should you feel that a neighbouring development will cause detriment, we can advise you on how to object.
