Farm Planning Consultants in the North West

Rural and farm planning consultants across the North West

Foxes Rural is a specialist team of rural planning consultants and farm planning consultants working with farmers, landowners and rural estates across the North West of England. From the dairy farms of Cheshire and Lancashire to the upland sheep and beef holdings of Cumbria and the Lake District, 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 North West is one of the most important dairy and livestock regions in the country, with a landscape that ranges from the rich Cheshire plain to the fells of the Lake District. With a National Park, extensive upland and busy 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 North West

Agricultural permitted development rights allow many North West 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 a North West farm business significant time and cost; used incorrectly, it can trigger enforcement action.

We regularly prepare prior approval applications for dairy buildings, livestock housing, slurry and silage stores and farm tracks across the region's dairy, beef and upland holdings. Our team understands the siting, scale and design tests that councils across Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria apply, including the additional sensitivities of the Lake District and the Forest of Bowland, and we make sure your scheme is lawful from the outset.

Farm buildings and new agricultural development

From modern dairy parlours and cubicle housing to livestock buildings, slurry stores and machinery sheds, North West farms need buildings that work for one of the most important dairy 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 Cheshire plain, the Lancashire lowlands, the Fylde and the Cumbrian fells with a full understanding of local landscape policy.

Farm diversification planning in the North West

Diversification is central to the future of farming in the North West, a region with a major rural visitor economy centred on the Lake District. We advise on farm shops, holiday lets and glamping, wedding and event venues, equestrian facilities, rural offices, farm cafes, dairy enterprises and renewable energy schemes. 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 North West covers a large area with a high level of farming planning activity. Our team regularly works across districts including:

• Cheshire West and Chester
• Cheshire East
• Wyre and the Fylde
• Ribble Valley and the Forest of Bowland
• West Lancashire
• Lancaster
• South Lakeland
• Eden
• Allerdale
• Carlisle and the Solway

We also advise farmers around the principal towns and cities of the region, including Chester, Nantwich, Preston, Lancaster, Clitheroe, Garstang, Kendal, Penrith, Carlisle, Cockermouth, Ormskirk and Crewe.

A region built on farming

The North West's farming reputation is showcased every year at the Royal Lancashire Show, the Westmorland County Show near Kendal and the Cheshire Show, three of the most important agricultural events in the region. The North West is famous for its dairy and livestock, home to landmark dairy businesses, major estates and influential rural voices including high-profile family farming partnerships. 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 North West.

How we compare to other rural planning firms

Farmers in the North West have a choice of advisers, including national consultancies and land agency firms such as Acorus, The Rural Planning Co, The Rural Planning Practice, Davis & Bowring, H&H Land & Estates 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 North West

If you farm in Cheshire, Lancashire or Cumbria 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.