Farm Planning Consultants in the South

Rural and farm planning consultants across the South

Foxes Rural is a specialist team of rural planning consultants and farm planning consultants working with farmers, landowners and rural estates across the South of England. From the arable farms of Oxfordshire and the chalk downland of Wiltshire to the mixed holdings of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, 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 South is a productive and high-value farming region, with the Cotswolds, the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns all placing landscape and heritage demands on rural development. 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 South

Agricultural permitted development rights allow many farms in the South 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 southern farm business significant time and cost; used incorrectly, it can trigger enforcement action.

We regularly prepare prior approval applications for grain stores, livestock buildings, slurry stores and farm tracks across the region's arable and mixed holdings. Our team understands the siting, scale and design tests that councils across Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Buckinghamshire apply, including the additional sensitivities of the Cotswolds and the Chilterns, and we make sure your scheme is lawful from the outset.

Farm buildings and new agricultural development

From modern grain stores and machinery sheds to livestock housing and produce stores, farms in the South need buildings that work for an efficient arable and mixed industry. 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 Cotswold escarpment, the Vale of White Horse, the Marlborough Downs and the Chiltern dip slope with a full understanding of local landscape policy.

Farm diversification planning in the South

Diversification is central to the future of farming in the South, a region with a strong rural visitor economy and easy access to large population centres. We advise on farm shops, holiday lets and glamping, wedding and event venues, equestrian facilities, rural offices, farm cafes and renewable energy schemes. The recent success of high-profile farm diversification near Chipping Norton has put the region's rural enterprise firmly in the spotlight. 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 South covers a large area with a high level of farming planning activity. Our team regularly works across districts including:

• West Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds
• Cherwell
• South Oxfordshire
• Vale of White Horse
• West Berkshire
• Wiltshire and the Marlborough Downs
• Swindon and the surrounding countryside
• Aylesbury Vale
• Wycombe and the Chilterns
• Basingstoke and the Hampshire borders

We also advise farmers around the principal towns and cities of the region, including Oxford, Banbury, Witney, Chipping Norton, Wantage, Newbury, Reading, Swindon, Marlborough, Devizes, Salisbury, Aylesbury and High Wycombe.

A region built on farming

The South's farming reputation is showcased at events such as the Royal County of Berkshire Show at Newbury and the long-running shows of Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. The region is home to some of the most talked-about farming enterprises in the country, including Clarkson's Farm at Diddly Squat near Chadlington in Oxfordshire, which has done so much to raise the profile of British farming and rural diversification. Alongside this are landmark estates, major arable businesses and influential rural voices, with 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 South.

How we compare to other rural planning firms

Farmers in the South have a choice of advisers, including national consultancies and land agency firms such as Acorus, The Rural Planning Co, The Rural Planning Practice, Carter Jonas, Savills 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 South

If you farm in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire or Buckinghamshire 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.