Farm Planning Consultants in Yorkshire

Rural and farm planning consultants across Yorkshire

Foxes Rural is a specialist team of rural planning consultants and farm planning consultants working with farmers, landowners and rural estates across Yorkshire. From the arable wolds of the East Riding and the dairy and livestock farms of the Yorkshire Dales to the upland holdings of the North York Moors and the mixed farms of South and West Yorkshire, 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.

Yorkshire is England's largest farming county by area, with a hugely varied landscape and equally varied planning pressures. With protected uplands, busy market towns and a strong tradition of family farming, 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 Yorkshire

Agricultural permitted development rights allow many Yorkshire 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 Yorkshire 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, dairy and upland holdings. Our team understands the siting, scale and design tests that councils across North, East, South and West Yorkshire apply, including the additional sensitivities of the National Parks, and we make sure your scheme is lawful from the outset.

Farm buildings and new agricultural development

From modern grain stores and potato stores on the Wolds to dairy parlours, livestock housing and machinery sheds in the Dales, Yorkshire farms need buildings that work for a demanding 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 chalk Wolds, the Vale of York, the Pennine fringes and the moorland edges with a full understanding of local landscape policy.

Farm diversification planning in Yorkshire

Diversification is central to the future of farming in Yorkshire, a county that draws millions of visitors to the Dales, Moors and coast each year. We advise on farm shops, holiday lets and glamping, wedding and event venues, equestrian facilities, rural offices, farm cafes 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

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

• Ryedale
• Hambleton
• Harrogate
• Richmondshire
• Craven
• Selby
• East Riding of Yorkshire
• Scarborough and the coast
• Doncaster and the South Yorkshire fringe
• Wakefield and the Pennine farms of Kirklees and Calderdale

We also advise farmers around the principal towns and cities of the region, including York, Harrogate, Skipton, Ripon, Thirsk, Malton, Northallerton, Beverley, Driffield, Bridlington, Selby, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds and Sheffield.

A region built on farming

Yorkshire's farming reputation is showcased every year at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, one of the most important agricultural events in the country, alongside long-standing events such as the Driffield Show and the Ryedale Show. The region is home to landmark farming and food businesses and to influential rural voices, including high-profile estates and family farming partnerships, the agricultural community around Harrogate and the strong presence of the National Farmers' Union and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. Yorkshire's livestock markets at Thirsk, Skipton and Malton remain at the heart of the region's farming economy.

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 Yorkshire.

How we compare to other rural planning firms

Farmers in Yorkshire have a choice of advisers, including national consultancies and land agency firms such as Acorus, The Rural Planning Co, The Rural Planning Practice, Savills, GSC Grays 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 Yorkshire

If you farm in North, East, South or West Yorkshire 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.