Farm Planning Consultants in Cumbria

Farming the fells and the vale

Cumbrian farmers keep some of the hardest working land in Britain, from hill flocks on the fells to dairy herds on the Solway plain and in the Eden valley. You might need a modern sheep shed, a covered yard, a farm worker's dwelling or a new use for a stone bank barn. A farm planning consultant in Cumbria helps you secure permission so the farm can keep working.

Some of the toughest planning ground in England

The Lake District National Park and World Heritage Site, part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the North Pennines, Solway Coast and Arnside and Silverdale National Landscapes and Hadrian's Wall all sit in Cumbria. Since 2023 the county has also been split between 2 new councils, Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness. Farmers face strict landscape tests, changing procedures and long waits, even for buildings that are essential to keep stock alive through a Cumbrian winter.

We understand upland farming

We know how disheartening it is to argue the need for a shed with people who have never lambed on a fell in March. We act exclusively for farmers and landowners, and our work spans Part 6 prior approvals, Class Q, Class R and full applications. We know how National Park officers weigh up farm buildings and what evidence persuades them. 95% of our applications are approved.

Our 3 step plan for Cumbrian farms

1. Call 01206 481981. Tell us about the holding and what you need.
2. We build your case. We identify the right authority and the strongest route, including the National Park where it applies.
3. We deal with the planners. We prepare, submit and negotiate to a decision.

Where we work in Cumbria

• Cumberland
• Westmorland and Furness
• The Lake District National Park
• The Yorkshire Dales National Park in Cumbria
• The North Pennines National Landscape
• The Solway Coast National Landscape
• Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape
• The Eden valley
• The Furness and Cartmel peninsulas

We help farms near Carlisle, Penrith, Kendal, Keswick, Cockermouth, Wigton, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen, Brampton, Sedbergh, Kirkby Lonsdale, Ulverston and Cartmel, and we know the farming crowds at the Westmorland County Show and the Cumberland Show each year.

Cumbrian farm businesses leading the way

Cumbria has produced some remarkable farm enterprises. The family behind Tebay services grew their business from a hill farm beside the M6, the Lowther and Holker estates combine farming with tourism and food, and Low Sizergh Barn near Kendal built a much loved farm shop around its dairy herd. All of them depended on buildings and consents. Your farm can grow in the same way.

A specialist for your application

Cumbrian landowners often use firms such as H&H Land and Property, PFK, Carigiet Cowen, Davis & Bowring and Edwin Thompson. Foxes Rural focuses only on planning, so your farm application gets a specialist from start to finish.

The price of getting it wrong

In a National Park a refusal is hard to overturn, and an unauthorised building can face enforcement. Without the right buildings, stock and income suffer.

The result you want

Picture stock housed safely through winter, a bank barn converted for family or rental use and a farm that stays in the family. Call Foxes Rural on 01206 481981 to start.