Farm Planning Consultants in the South East

Your farm, your plans, your future in the South East

Farming in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire means working some of the most valuable and most watched land in England. You want to put up the right buildings, give redundant barns a new life and build an income that keeps the farm in the family. A specialist farm planning consultant in the South East can help you get there.

Why planning feels stacked against South East farmers

Here the planning system can feel like the opponent. Green Belt policy, National Landscapes, the South Downs National Park and heavy housing pressure mean every farm application gets picked apart. Councils ask for landscape reports, heritage statements and ecology surveys, then still find reasons to refuse. Farmers are left feeling they need permission to keep farming. That is wrong. A working farm should be supported by the planning system, not obstructed by it.

The guide South East farmers turn to

We have sat across the table from planning officers more times than we can count, and we know how frustrating it is when common sense gets lost in policy. Foxes Rural specialises in agricultural permitted development, Class Q and Class R conversions and full planning for farms. We understand the extra layers that come with the Weald, the Downs and the Green Belt, and we build applications that answer the officer's questions before they are asked. Our 95% approval rate speaks for itself.

How we get you to approval

1. Start the conversation. Ring 01206 481981 and tell us what you want to achieve on your farm.
2. We map out the route. We assess your site, the designations that apply and the planning route most likely to succeed.
3. We take the fight to the council. We submit, negotiate and respond to every request until you have a decision.

Where we help South East farmers

Our rural planning consultants work across the farming districts of the South East, including:

• Maidstone and the Kent Weald
• Ashford
• Tunbridge Wells
• Canterbury and Swale
• Wealden
• Chichester and the South Downs
• Horsham
• Mid Sussex
• Guildford and Waverley
• Winchester and East Hampshire

We advise farms around Canterbury, Maidstone, Ashford, Chichester, Lewes, Horsham, Guildford, Winchester, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Petersfield and Basingstoke, and we know the farming community that gathers each year at the Kent County Show and the South of England Show at Ardingly.

A region of growers, vineyards and family farms

The South East is famous for its fruit, its hops and a fast growing wine industry, with leading English wine estates and landmark horticultural businesses working the same chalk and clay as you. Behind them stand family farming partnerships and traditional estates that have shaped the Weald and the Downs for generations. When those businesses invest, they need planning consent just like you do.

Why farmers choose a specialist

There are plenty of advisers in the South East, from Savills and BTF Partnership to Acorus, The Rural Planning Co and The Rural Planning Practice. Foxes Rural is different because farm planning is all we do. We are not selling your land or managing your lettings; we are focused on one outcome, getting your application approved.

The cost of getting it wrong

In the South East a refused application can cost tens of thousands in lost value, and a building put up without the right consent can bring enforcement action. Waiting rarely makes it easier, as policy and pressure only increase.

What success looks like

A new building that works for your business, a barn converted into homes or offices, and a farm that is stronger and more secure. Call Foxes Rural on 01206 481981 and let us help your South East farm get there.