Farm Planning Consultants in the East Midlands

Rural and farm planning consultants across the East Midlands

Foxes Rural is a specialist team of rural planning consultants and farm planning consultants working with farmers, landowners and rural estates across the East Midlands. From the vast arable holdings of Lincolnshire and the mixed farms of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire to the upland grazing of the Derbyshire Peak District and the productive land of Northamptonshire, we help agricultural businesses unlock the development potential of their land. Whether you are planning a new agricultural building, considering a Class Q barn conversion or developing a diversification scheme, our farm planning consultants guide every application from first idea to final approval.

The East Midlands is one of the most productive arable regions in the country, home to some of the largest farming businesses in England. With grade one and grade two land at a premium and a mix of busy and rural planning authorities, getting the right planning advice early makes the difference between a smooth approval and a costly refusal. We combine deep knowledge of agricultural permitted development with practical experience of how planning officers across the region make decisions.

Agricultural permitted development across the East Midlands

Agricultural permitted development rights allow many East Midlands farms to build new buildings, form tracks and undertake engineering works without a full planning application, provided the conditions of Part 6 of the GPDO are met. Our rural planning consultants advise on Class A rights for holdings of five hectares or more and Class B rights for smaller units, helping you confirm whether prior approval is required before work begins. Used correctly, permitted development can save an East Midlands farm business significant time and cost; used incorrectly, it can trigger enforcement action.

We regularly prepare prior approval applications for grain stores, potato and vegetable stores, livestock buildings and farm tracks across the region's large arable and mixed holdings. Our team understands the siting, scale and design tests that councils across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire apply, including the additional sensitivities of the Peak District, and we make sure your scheme is lawful from the outset.

Farm buildings and new agricultural development

From large grain stores and vegetable packhouses to controlled-atmosphere stores, livestock housing and machinery sheds, East Midlands farms need buildings that work for one of the most intensive arable industries in the country. Where a scheme falls outside permitted development, our farm planning consultants prepare full planning applications supported by agricultural justification, landscape and heritage assessments and a clear case on functional need. We work across the Lincolnshire Wolds and Fens, the Vale of Belvoir, the Trent Valley and the Northamptonshire uplands with a full understanding of local landscape policy.

Farm diversification planning in the East Midlands

Diversification is central to the future of farming in the East Midlands. We advise on farm shops, holiday lets and glamping, wedding and event venues, equestrian facilities, rural offices, farm cafes and renewable energy schemes, including the solar and anaerobic digestion projects that are increasingly common on the region's large arable units. Our rural planning consultants help you build a diversification strategy that strengthens the farm business while satisfying planning policy on sustainability, highways and landscape impact.

The farming districts we work across

The East Midlands covers a large area with a high level of farming planning activity. Our team regularly works across districts including:

• South Holland and the Lincolnshire Fens
• Boston
• East Lindsey and the Wolds
• North Kesteven
• South Kesteven
• Newark and Sherwood
• Bassetlaw
• Melton and the Vale of Belvoir
• Harborough
• Daventry and South Northamptonshire

We also advise farmers around the principal towns and cities of the region, including Lincoln, Boston, Spalding, Sleaford, Grantham, Stamford, Newark, Nottingham, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Derby, Northampton and Kettering.

A region built on farming

The East Midlands' farming reputation is showcased every year at the Lincolnshire Show near Lincoln and the Newark and Nottinghamshire County Show, two of the most important agricultural events in the region. The East Midlands is home to some of the largest and most progressive farming businesses in the country, including Dyson Farming in Lincolnshire, one of the biggest farming operations in Britain, alongside major arable estates and influential rural voices. The region has a strong presence of the National Farmers' Union and active county agricultural societies.

As members and supporters of the farming community, we work alongside the guidance of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and other farming bodies to make sure our planning advice reflects the realities of running a modern rural business in the East Midlands.

How we compare to other rural planning firms

Farmers in the East Midlands have a choice of advisers, including national consultancies and land agency firms such as Brown & Co in Lincolnshire, Acorus, The Rural Planning Co, The Rural Planning Practice, Berrys and other regional planning and land agents. What sets Foxes Rural apart is our single-minded focus on farm planning: we are rural planning consultants first, and we measure our success by the approvals we secure for working farms. We offer clear advice, fixed expectations and a track record of unlocking development that other firms have turned down.

Talk to a farm planning consultant in the East Midlands

If you farm in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Northamptonshire and want to understand what your land can deliver, speak to our rural planning consultants today. We offer an initial review of your site and a clear plan for the best planning route, whether that is agricultural permitted development, a Class Q conversion, new farm buildings or a diversification scheme. Call Foxes Rural on 01206 481981 to start the conversation.