Which Planning Route Is Right for Your Farm? Free Guide

Which planning route is right for your farm?

You know what you want to build, convert or change on your farm. The hard part is knowing which planning route the council will accept. Pick the wrong one and you pay for drawings and reports, wait months, then get a refusal that could have been avoided. Pick the right one and the application is shorter, cheaper and far more likely to get a yes.

There are 4 main routes for farm planning in England: agricultural permitted development, Class Q, Class R and full planning. This page explains plainly what each one does, when it fits and where it falls down, so you can see where your project sits before you spend a penny.

Agricultural permitted development: new farm buildings

Agricultural permitted development, often called Part 6, is the right to put up or extend buildings that are reasonably necessary for farming, without a full planning application. On a holding of 5 hectares or more, Class A covers new buildings, extensions and works such as yards and tracks, with enclosed buildings up to 1,500 square metres. On 0.4 to 5 hectares, Class B is limited to extensions and alterations.

You still have to notify the council first. The council then has 28 days to decide whether it wants to approve the siting, design and appearance. Livestock buildings and slurry stores cannot go within 400 metres of a protected building such as a neighbour's house, and the building must be genuinely needed for agriculture on the unit.

Best for: new general purpose sheds, grain stores, livestock housing, yards and farm tracks. Read our guide to agricultural permitted development.

Class Q: turning a farm building into homes

Class Q is the right to convert an agricultural building into homes through prior approval, not full planning. Since May 2024 it allows up to 10 homes and up to 1,000 square metres of new homes in total, with no single home over 150 square metres. A limited single storey rear extension onto existing hardstanding is also possible.

The building must have been in agricultural use as part of an established agricultural unit, and the key date is 24 July 2023. The council assesses transport, noise, contamination, flood risk, natural light, design and whether the location makes the change practical or desirable. The building has to be capable of conversion, so a structural survey matters. Class Q does not apply in National Landscapes, National Parks, the Broads, conservation areas or to listed buildings, and using it removes Part 6 rights from the farm.

Best for: steel, block or traditional barns outside protected landscapes that are structurally sound. Read our Class Q planning guide.

Class R: turning a farm building into a business

Class R is the right to change an agricultural building to a commercial use, such as storage, offices, light industry, a farm shop, a café, a gym, a hotel or outdoor sport and recreation. Since May 2024 the limit is 1,000 square metres per agricultural unit. Up to 150 square metres needs only notification to the council; above that, prior approval covers transport, noise, contamination, flood risk and, for some uses, impact on shops nearby.

The new use must fall within one of the listed use classes. A use that sits outside the use classes, known as sui generis, cannot use Class R and needs full planning instead.

Best for: diversification into lets, storage, offices, farm retail and leisure. Read our Class R planning guide and our page on farm diversification planning.

Full planning: when permitted development will not do

Full planning permission is the route for anything permitted development does not cover. That includes new homes on the farm, an agricultural worker's dwelling, conversions in protected landscapes, larger diversification schemes, sui generis uses and anything refused under prior approval. The council judges it against the local plan and national policy, which supports a prosperous rural economy and the sustainable growth of rural businesses.

It takes longer and needs more evidence, but it is also more flexible. A well argued full application can win approval where permitted development simply does not apply.

Best for: agricultural workers' dwellings, conversions in National Landscapes, larger or mixed schemes, and barn conversions that fall outside Class Q.

Already built without permission?

If work has gone ahead without consent, or the council has written to you, the route changes. A retrospective application or a defence against an enforcement notice needs a different approach, and time limits matter. See our page on planning enforcement notices.

Routes compared at a glance

Agricultural permitted development: farm buildings, yards and tracks. Council has 28 days to decide whether prior approval is needed. Fees from £3,000 + VAT.
Class Q: up to 10 homes from a farm building. Prior approval, normally 56 days. Fees from £3,000 + VAT.
Class R: commercial uses up to 1,000 square metres. Notification or prior approval, normally 56 days. Fees from £3,000 + VAT.
Full planning: anything else. Normally 8 weeks, longer for major schemes. Fees from £4,000 + VAT.

Planning rules in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are different, so the right route there depends on the local regime. We will tell you plainly which applies to your farm.

Not sure which route fits?

Most farmers come to us with a clear idea of what they need and no clear idea of the route. That is exactly where we help. Our Stage 1 Planning Strategy and Feasibility Assessment, starting from £1,950 + VAT, tells you what can be done, by which route and in what order, before you spend money on drawings. Call us on 01206 481981 or get in touch through our Contact page.

Our free guide walks you through the key questions to ask about your building, your land and your goals, and points you towards the most likely route for your project. It is written specifically for farmers and landowners in plain English, with no jargon.