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Since joining Robinson & Hall at the beginning of February, it has been an enjoyable transition back into the planning and development consultancy world, having spent nearly 2.5 years working for a housebuilder. Prior to this, I was at Bletsoes for over 7 years in the Planning & Development team, so I am very familiar with this role and look forward to getting back to helping landowners find added value across their portfolios.
Government Housing Targets
With the UK constantly falling short of its annual targets for homes, and 2023/2024 being the lowest level in over a decade, the new Government has proposed to reintroduce mandatory housing targets and has aimed to deliver 1.5 million homes over the next 5 years. One of the big changes is the recently revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which includes a new standard methodology for calculating housing need. This has led to local planning authorities being required to deliver 370,000 homes per annum, as opposed to the previous target of 300,000, under the current method. Due to this, councils are having to plan for sufficient housing and be able to demonstrate a 5-year land supply.
Permitted Development Rights
Recent changes to the Permitted Development Rights have opened the door for landowners to consider making changes within their farm holdings. With farmers always looking at other means of generating income away from farming itself, permitted development is seen as a fantastic avenue to explore. Many of my meetings consist of discussions around Class Q, Class R or Class A, and all three have seen changes recently.
Class Q
First introduced in 2014, Class Q is a valuable tool for landowners to convert old barns, sheds and grain stores without needing to apply for full planning permission. Recent changes have included the inclusion of agricultural buildings which are not part of the established agricultural unit. This will give farmers and landowners the opportunity to convert outlying buildings, which has previously been against the rules. Historically, buildings had to be solely used for agricultural use, however this has been removed in instances where that building is part of an established agricultural unit.
Other changes have included the maximum number of dwellings increasing to 10, with a total floor area of 1,000 m2 (previously the number of dwellings was limited to 5 with a maximum floor space of 865 m2).
Frustratingly, the maximum floor area for a single property has been reduced from 465 m2 to 150 m2.
Class R
Class R allows landowners to convert agricultural buildings to a range of commercial uses, along with diversification to other uses such as sport and recreational. The total floor area allowance has increased from 500 m2 to 1,000 m2.
Class A
For farms of over 5 hectares, the maximum size the barn can be is 1,500 m2, and for holdings less than 5 hectares, the total size limit has increased to 1,250 m2.
Many of Robinson & Hall’s client base are situated, fortunately, within the area known as the Oxford to Cambridge Arc. This is a globally significant area between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge which supports over 2 million jobs and adds £110 billion to the economy every year. It is seen as one of the fastest growing economies in England and there is a recognition by the Government that it is an area of opportunity to build a better economic, social and environmental future for the area. There is a real push over the next decade to transform this area, with initiatives such as the East West Rail being promoted to ensure better connectivity between Cambridge and Oxford, not to mention the potential of Universal Studios UK coming to Bedford, which would create thousands of jobs and put Bedford truly on the map! It is still some way off, with the theme park not expected to open until 2031, however it could be transformational for Bedford Borough.
As you can tell from the above, there is always lots going on and it is difficult to keep track. If you have a planning query or are curious as to whether your land has development potential, please do get in touch. It would be good to meet, and you never know, you might be sitting on a goldmine.
Please contact Tristan for more information or to find out how he can help you.
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