Farm Planning Consultants in Hertfordshire

Farming on London's doorstep: planning for Hertfordshire farms

Hertfordshire farms sit within reach of London yet remain proudly rural. Arable land runs across the north of the county and the plateau south of St Albans, with chalk streams, woodland and grazing in between. Being so close to towns brings real opportunity. A new shed for a growing business, a barn converted into a home or offices, a farm shop or a yard let to local trades. A farm planning consultant in Hertfordshire who knows the Green Belt can help make it happen.

Green Belt, chalk hills and constant change

Just over half of Hertfordshire is Green Belt, rising to around 80% in some districts, and that one designation shapes almost every decision on your land. The Chilterns National Landscape covers the west of the county, chalk streams such as the Mimram, Beane and Rib need protecting, and local plans across the county are still being argued over. Recent national changes to Green Belt policy add another layer for you to understand.

The result is uncertainty, cost and delay just when you want to move. It is frustrating to be told what you cannot do on land you have farmed for years. Running your own farm should not feel like an endless negotiation.

Expert help, in your corner

We know how it feels to wait on a decision that shapes your future. Every client of Foxes Rural farms or owns rural land. We handle farm building prior approvals, Class Q barn homes, Class R business conversions and full applications, week in, week out. We understand Green Belt tests, the Chilterns landscape and how to show a building is genuinely needed for farming. Our record stands at 95% approved.

How a Hertfordshire application comes together

1. Call 01206 481981. Run through your holding with us and the project you are weighing up.
2. We build the strategy. Green Belt and Chilterns rules decide the route, so we test each option and agree the evidence before anything is drawn.
3. We manage the council. Submission, officer correspondence and negotiation all sit with us until you hold a decision.

From the Chilterns to the Lea valley: our Hertfordshire patch

• North Hertfordshire
• East Hertfordshire
• Dacorum
• St Albans
• Welwyn Hatfield
• Hertsmere
• Three Rivers
• Broxbourne
• Stevenage and Watford fringes
• The Chilterns National Landscape
• The Metropolitan Green Belt

Our Hertfordshire clients farm near Hitchin, Baldock, Royston, Ashwell, Buntingford, Ware, Hertford, Bishop's Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Tring, Berkhamsted and Harpenden. The farming year comes together at the Hertfordshire County Show at Redbourn, and we enjoy supporting the families who keep it going.

Hertfordshire farming at its best

This county has shaped how the world farms. At Harpenden, Rothamsted Research runs some of the longest running field experiments anywhere. The Hatfield Park Estate manages let farms, grazing and woodland, and Church Farm at Ardeley has built a working farm with a shop, cafe, pub and camping. Each shows what Hertfordshire land achieves once permission is secured. There is no reason your holding cannot follow.

One discipline, done properly

For agency and estate work, many in the county call on Savills, Strutt & Parker or Brown & Merry. We advise on farm planning and nothing besides, which keeps your application at the top of the pile rather than in a gap in someone's diary.

When the Green Belt bites back

In the Green Belt, a building erected without consent can bring enforcement and the bill for pulling it down. A weak application can be refused and leave a mark on the planning history of your land. Meanwhile, the barn that could be earning sits empty.

Imagine the approval in hand

A new building earning its keep, a barn conversion paying steady rent and a business you are proud to hand on. Call Foxes Rural on 01206 481981 to open the conversation.