What Are Permitted Development Rights on Farms?

Permitted development rights (PDR) allow farmers and landowners to carry out certain building works and engineering operations on agricultural land without needing to apply for full planning permission. These rights are set out in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 — and they form one of the most valuable planning tools available to English farm businesses.

For farms over 5 hectares, the key agricultural PDR classes include:

Class A — new agricultural buildings, extensions and alterations to existing farm buildings
Class B — hard standing, access roads, drainage works and engineering operations
Class Q — conversion of agricultural buildings to residential use (up to 10 homes, or 1,000 sq m)
Class R — conversion of agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use (such as retail, storage, leisure or offices)
Class S — conversion of agricultural buildings to state-funded schools or registered nurseries

Smaller holdings (between 0.4 and 5 hectares) have more limited rights under Class A, with reduced floor space thresholds and stricter prior notification requirements.

How DEFRA's Farming Roadmap 2050 Changes the Picture

On 24 June 2026, DEFRA published its long-awaited Farming Roadmap 2050: Growing England's Future. One of its central commitments is to review and expand permitted development rights for farm businesses, as part of a wider push to remove unnecessary planning barriers and unlock farm productivity.

The Roadmap signals that Government intends to consult on extending PDR to cover a wider range of on-farm activities, including:

Larger agricultural buildings and glasshouses to support food production intensification
On-farm energy infrastructure — solar, wind and battery storage — without full planning permission
Agri-tech facilities, including controlled-environment growing units and precision fermentation buildings
Farm diversification structures, such as farm shops, processing facilities and tourism accommodation
Temporary farm worker accommodation, particularly for seasonal horticulture operations

The NFU and the CLA have both welcomed the Roadmap's intent, but urged Government to move swiftly on consultation and implementation rather than leaving farm businesses in a period of uncertainty. At Foxes Rural, we are monitoring the forthcoming PDR consultation closely and will advise clients on how to take full advantage of any new rights as soon as they come into force.

The NPPF Changes and What They Mean for Agriculture

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) underpins every planning decision made by local planning authorities (LPAs) in England. The Government has made a series of significant updates to the NPPF in 2024 and 2025 — with further revisions flagged in the Farming Roadmap — that have material implications for agricultural landowners and rural planning consultants.

Support for Food Production

The updated NPPF now places greater weight on the protection of the best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land — Grades 1, 2 and 3a — when considering planning applications. LPAs must take particular care when allowing development on BMV land and should only do so in exceptional circumstances. For farm planning consultants, this strengthens the case for protecting productive farmland while also creating opportunities to redirect development pressure onto lower-quality land.

Rural Economic Development

The NPPF revisions support the principle of farm diversification and rural economic development, provided it does not compromise the primary agricultural use of the holding. This aligns closely with the Farming Roadmap's emphasis on making English farm businesses more financially resilient. Planning applications for farm shops, holiday lets, equestrian facilities and rural workspace are now better supported in policy terms.

Energy Infrastructure and Climate Change

The NPPF now places much greater emphasis on renewable energy and the delivery of net zero, which has significant implications for farm businesses. Large-scale solar farms, anaerobic digestion plants and battery storage facilities on agricultural land are now broadly supported in national policy — provided the impacts on landscape, biodiversity and agricultural land quality can be adequately addressed. The Farming Roadmap goes further, identifying on-farm energy generation as a key component of the productive and profitable farm of the future.

Affordable Housing and Agricultural Workers' Dwellings

The NPPF continues to allow for agricultural workers' dwellings in the open countryside where there is a proven functional need. However, the bar for demonstrating that need has remained high, and LPAs scrutinise these applications carefully. Foxes Rural has extensive experience in preparing and presenting agricultural workers' dwelling cases, drawing on financial evidence, structural surveys and agricultural appraisals to make compelling planning applications.

How Foxes Rural Can Help Your Farm Business

Foxes Rural is one of England's specialist rural planning consultancies. Based in Essex, we work with farm businesses across East Anglia, the South East, the Midlands and beyond. Our team combines expertise in agricultural policy, planning law and the day-to-day realities of running a farm business to give clients clear, practical advice.

Whether you are looking to use permitted development rights to expand your farm buildings, convert redundant structures under Class Q or Class R, or navigate the complexities of a full planning application in the context of the new NPPF and DEFRA's Farming Roadmap, we can help.

To discuss your farm's planning opportunities, call us on 01206 481981 or use our contact form below. As members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and working closely with organisations including the NFU, CLA and Country Land and Business Association, we bring professional rigour and genuine farming knowledge to every case we take on.

Farming Roadmap 2050: Permitted Development Rights & NPPF Changes for Farm Businesses