Turn your redundant barn into a home

You know that old barn could be worth far more as a house than it will ever be as storage. The problem is the prior approval process. Councils refuse Class Q applications on structural reports, floorspace limits and technical tests that catch out farmers who have never been through the system before. A refusal costs time and money, and it can make the next attempt harder.

We are farm planning consultants who prepare Class Q applications every week, with a 95% approval rate across our agricultural planning work. Here is how we get your barn from idea to approval.

Your 3 step plan

Call us on 01206 481981. Tell us about the building, the land around it and what you want to create.
Get a straight answer. We check the building against every Class Q test and tell you honestly whether it qualifies before you spend money.
We handle the council. We prepare the prior approval application, deal with the officer and push it through to a decision.

We can take the whole job on from start to finish, and our barn conversion planning permission page compares every route for converting a barn, including Class R and full planning.

What is Class Q permitted development?

Class Q is a permitted development right that allows the change of use of an agricultural building, and certain associated building operations, to create one or more dwellinghouses. It was introduced to help bring redundant farm buildings back into productive use and to support rural housing without the need for a full planning application.

Although it is a permitted development right, Class Q is not automatic. You must apply to the local planning authority for prior approval, and the authority will assess your proposal against a defined set of criteria before you can proceed.

How many homes and how much floorspace does Class Q allow?

Since 21 May 2024, Class Q allows up to 10 homes on an agricultural unit, with no more than 1,000 square metres of new homes in total. No single home can be larger than 150 square metres. A single storey rear extension of up to 4 metres is also possible, but only onto hardstanding that was in place on or before 24 July 2023.

The caps apply to the agricultural unit as a whole, so several buildings can be converted in one application or in stages, provided the running totals stay within the limits. Getting the number of homes or the floorspace wrong is one of the most common reasons a Class Q application fails, so we check the figures for your holding before any drawings are done.

Which buildings now qualify

The 2024 changes opened Class Q to buildings that were once part of an established agricultural unit but are no longer farmed, provided they have not been used for anything else since. The key date is 24 July 2023. If your barn has sat empty for years, it may now have potential it did not have before.

Where Class Q applications fail

The structural test catches out more farmers than any other. The council can refuse prior approval if the works needed would amount to rebuilding the barn rather than converting it, so a structural survey should come first. Read our guide to Class Q structural surveys.

The other common failure points are a building in an excluded area such as a National Park, National Landscape or conservation area; a listed building; a new agricultural building put up under permitted development on the unit within the last 10 years; and an agricultural use history that cannot be evidenced. We check every one of these before an application goes in. See also why Class Q applications get refused.

What our Class Q team does for you

We do more than fill in a form. We visit the building, test it against the structural, siting and use criteria Class Q demands, and build the transport, noise, contamination, flood risk and design case the council will assess. We handle the prior approval from the first site visit through to decision, and where the council raises concerns we deal with the case officer directly rather than leaving you to respond alone. Where a building does not qualify, we tell you plainly and set out the alternatives, including Class R or a full planning application. Not sure which route fits? See our guide to choosing the right planning route.

Why farmers choose a specialist consultant

Foxes Rural holds a 95% approval rate across our agricultural planning work, and our team is RICS and CAAV qualified, giving us a surveying and rural practice background that a general architect or planning agent often lacks. We work on fixed fees agreed before we start, and we run what we believe is the largest dedicated agricultural planning pipeline in England, meaning we see Class Q decisions from councils across the country every month rather than the occasional case.

Class Q planning consultants working across the UK

We act for farmers converting barns in Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, County Durham, Kent and Norfolk, among many other counties, and our team regularly attends county shows including the Great Yorkshire Show, the Royal Three Counties Show and the Suffolk Show to talk to farmers directly about what Class Q can do for a redundant building.

How we compare

Farmers researching a Class Q planning consultant will also come across firms such as classq.co.uk, The Rural Planning Co and Simple Planning Solutions. Each offers a variation on Class Q advice, but Foxes Rural's focus is on combining that specialism with a full rural planning service, so if your scheme changes shape, needs a diversification angle, or runs into an enforcement issue, the same team stays with you rather than handing you between specialists.

What does the council assess at prior approval?

When you apply for prior approval under Class Q, the local planning authority can only consider a defined list of matters. These include:

Transport and highways impacts of the development
Noise impacts of the development
Contamination risks on the site
Flooding risks on the site
Whether the location or siting makes the dwelling impractical or undesirable
The design and external appearance of the building
Whether the building is structurally capable of conversion

Frequently asked questions

Does my building qualify for Class Q?
To qualify, the building must have been in lawful agricultural use on the relevant qualifying date, must be structurally capable of conversion without substantial rebuilding, and must not sit within an excluded area such as certain protected landscapes. Listed buildings and sites with an existing planning condition restricting change of use are also excluded. A site-specific assessment is the only reliable way to confirm eligibility.

How long does a Class Q application take?
The local planning authority has a statutory period of 56 days from the date of a valid application to determine whether prior approval is required and, if so, whether it is granted. Preparing a strong application with the right supporting information up front, including a structural assessment, gives you the best chance of a positive decision within that window.

What if my building is too dilapidated to convert?
Class Q only permits a conversion, not a rebuild. If the structure requires works that go beyond what the rules allow, the proposal can fall outside Class Q and be refused. Where a building is borderline, a structural engineer's report is essential, and in some cases a full planning application for replacement or new build may be a more realistic route. We can advise on the best strategy for your particular building.