Starmer Resigns: What It Could Mean for Farm Planning
Starmer Resigns: What It Could Mean for Farm Planning
Keir Starmer announced his resignation this morning. Andy Burnham is the clear frontrunner to succeed him. A change at the top of government always creates uncertainty. For farmers navigating planning decisions in England, here is what we know — and what we do not.
What Has Actually Changed Today
Nothing yet. Planning law does not change when a prime minister resigns. The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 is already on the statute books, having received Royal Assent in December 2025. The GPDO, the NPPF, and permitted development rights all remain in force. Applications in the system continue to be processed.
The transition period — however long it lasts — changes nothing on the ground for planning officers or inspectors. If you have a Class Q or Class R application live right now, nothing about this morning's news affects it.
The Burnham Signals Farmers Should Watch
Burnham has not published a planning manifesto. He has been an MP for four days. But he has already made three comments relevant to rural landowners.
First, on inheritance tax. Burnham told The Telegraph he would look again at the APR reform introduced in Labour's 2024 Budget. He said he had heard directly from NFU members in the North West and believed family farms needed their voices heard on the issue. That reform — now law under the Finance Act 2026 — capped 100% APR relief at £2.5 million per estate from April 2026. Whether Burnham could or would reverse it is a different question. But the direction of travel is at least more sympathetic than Starmer's position.
Second, on land value tax. Burnham has said he is long persuaded by the case for a land value tax and called current council tax valuations — based on 1991 figures — unjustifiable. A land value tax levied on the annual rental value of land would represent a fundamental shift in how rural land is taxed. It is not imminent — it would require primary legislation and a valuation exercise of enormous complexity — but it is a stated personal preference. Landowners should note it.
Third, on compulsory purchase. The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 contains CPO provisions that allow authorities to disregard hope value when compulsorily acquiring land in certain circumstances. The NFU criticised these changes as risking a further erosion of farmer confidence in government. Burnham has not commented publicly on CPO reform. That silence is not comfort — it simply means we do not know his position.
What About Planning Policy Itself?
The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 places planning and infrastructure under the Ministry of Housing and its Secretary of State. Steve Reed currently holds that post. Burnham's ministerial appointments — including who takes housing and planning — will be the first meaningful signal for the rural sector.
A Housing Secretary sympathetic to rural land use and diversification would matter. One focused almost entirely on the 1.5 million homes target, with little interest in the GPDO framework, matters less. Permitted development rights operate largely independently of ministerial priorities unless a government actively moves to amend or restrict them.
There is no signal from Burnham, or from anyone around him, that Class Q, Class R, or agricultural PD rights are under review. That is the honest position.
The Practical Advice
A leadership contest means political bandwidth is consumed elsewhere. Consultations slow. Ministerial responses slow. That is not a reason to pause planning activity — in fact, the reverse.
Officers and inspectors continue to determine applications using the law and policy as it stands. A change of prime minister does not move the goalposts on a prior approval for agricultural conversion. Your permitted development rights are set by Parliament, not by Downing Street.
If you have a project you have been putting off, the current policy framework — including the expanded Class Q limits of up to ten dwellings and 1,000 sq.m introduced in May 2024 — remains in force. That framework does not need defending from a new prime minister. It is statute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Starmer's resignation affect my Class Q application?
No. Permitted development rights are set by Parliament through the GPDO. A change of prime minister does not alter the legal framework your application is determined under.
Will Burnham reverse the APR inheritance tax changes?
Burnham has said he wants to look at APR reform again and believes the case for family farms needs to be revisited. But reversing primary legislation requires a Budget and a full parliamentary process. Nothing will change quickly.
Should I wait to see what Burnham does before submitting a planning application?
No. The planning framework is what it is. Waiting for political clarity that may not arrive for months — or years — is not a planning strategy. It is a delay.
The single most important thing a farmer can do right now is understand what planning rights they actually have. Everything else is noise until Burnham's ministerial team is confirmed and policy direction becomes clear.
If you want a straightforward view of what you can and cannot do on your farm under the current rules, contact Foxes Rural at office@foxesrural.co.uk.