Summer Planning Essentials for Farmers

Summer presents perfect timing for farm planning applications with higher approval rates during July-August when planning officers are in better moods.

• Farm storage planning is critical before harvest, with different crops requiring specific storage requirements
• Commercial buildings on farms can utilize permitted development rights for extensions similar to retail parks
• Recent projects include barn conversions, equestrian diversification, and commercial change of use applications
• Fruit storage requires surprising amounts of floor space for ventilation and proper temperature control
• Permitted development rights offer streamlined application processes compared to increasingly complex full planning applications
• Early consultation with planning agents helps identify the most advantageous permission route for farm projects
• Lead time for building construction should be considered to avoid groundwork during winter months

We're excited to announce our new Bailey people-carrying trailer which can hold up to 30 people and is available for clients applying to Foxes Rural for their events.

www.foxesrural.co.uk

Transcript

Introduction to Summer Planning Tips

Speaker 1 0:00

So we're back for another episode of the Farmers Planning Podcast and we will be updating you on the perfect tips for summer and planning over the summer . So I've got Mel and Katie here as well , hello .

Speaker 2 0:12

Hello , Hello sorry .

Speaker 1 0:17

Yeah , so we are talking generally about the harvest coming up and what planning to do over the summer . So we think you know a lot of opportunities . We've looked back over the years of what's been going on over the summer and a lot of clients .

Speaker 3 0:33

Normally you know they're looking after harvest for new grain stores , new machinery , sheds , hard-standing , and always a diversification project is on most people's minds I think summer really highlights what storage you have and haven't got on your farm , and it's really important that you prepare in advance to make sure you have enough storage for all your different crops

Storage Planning for Harvest

Speaker 3 0:54

. Obviously , different crops require different storage requirements and space , so planning for that is crucial . And what we found is that if you are running applications over summer , the planning officers tend to be in a better mood because it's sunny and I think , statistically , more applications are approved over these two July August months .

Speaker 3 1:21

I think it's also really important to remember that planning takes time , so getting it in across the summer so the permission is ready for your complete harvest , is really important . Also , you've got to think about your lead time for your building and putting the ordering , because obviously you don't want to be digging in the depths of winter , because that's always a bit of a nightmare .

Speaker 1 1:40

And I think we're finding that there's more and more opportunities for commercial lets on farms and we're finding where tenants want to expand on farms as well , because there are ways to get permissions for automatic

Commercial Opportunities on Farms

Speaker 1 1:51

commercial buildings on farms aren't there . So if you've got commercial buildings , there is legislation there whereby you can go for automatic extensions , and that's massively overlooked on farms a lot of the time because farmers see their farms as farmyards but actually if they've got commercial use on them , they're designated as much as a curry's retail park , as commercial as anywhere else .

Speaker 3 2:13

It just happens to be in the countryside and I think having those commercial buildings when you're adding on extensions through you know the permitted development rights available , it's much more achievable . It's a slim run approach and I think people often think commercial buildings , oh my goodness . It's an eight week application with all the statutory consultees and it doesn't necessarily need to be that there are other routes available with a , with a more straightforward approach .

Speaker 1 2:45

So let's give some ideas to everyone that's listening . What sort of things have we been up to recently on the planning application front that might give some inspiration ?

Speaker 2 2:57

We've been looking at changes of use on barns which are near to menages in terms of farm diversification and expanding into the equestrian

Recent Planning Application Examples

Speaker 2 3:08

world .

Speaker 3 3:08

Yeah , we've also been doing commercial change of use of barns from agriculture to commercial as well , again using this permitted development right approach .

Speaker 1 3:17

And we've also been doing some lawful development certificate work for grants on quite a few clients' sites . So that can be anything from farm tracks , hard standing concrete yards , renewable projects . So you know you might want to be looking at what grants are still out there under some of the certain funds , because quite often you'll need planning permission for some of those works . So you want to get those permissions in line with the grant application timing . So , katie , one of your interesting projects at the moment has been doing a project for fruit . What was that ?

Speaker 2 3:52

yeah , it's been really interesting so you can use your permitted development rights on orchards as they are agricultural um , and it's been really interesting to learn about the floor space requirement for building storage of fruit , the equipment out of season .

Speaker 1 4:06

It's quite interesting , isn't it ? Because it's cherries and apples , which is not the norm , but it's quite interesting . You know , they've got to be insulated , they've got to be suitably climate controlled .

Speaker 3 4:18

I think it's always surprising how much floor space you need for fruit .

Speaker 2 4:28

Yeah , definitely .

Speaker 1 4:28

To allow for ventilation and proper chilling of the soft fruits especially . I think the message is always from us is use your permitted development rights where you can

Using Permitted Development Rights

Speaker 1 4:33

. Full planning's getting more complicated and convoluted , especially with the biodiversity net gain , and we always , always look at the starting point of permitted development rights and , as we always say , just because it's called permitted development , it doesn't mean it's permitted . It's just a different form of legislation with less criteria and less consultation . It's still an application process with the council , it's still the drawings , it's still the statements and stuff , but it just means that there are limited criteria that the council can assess the application against , rather than being more subjective and open to full planning policy .

Speaker 3 5:08

I've been out on quite a few site visits recently , actually sizing up different holdings to find out what people are doing there , what they'd like to do , looking at options available in terms of diversification , whether commercial would be a viable route here , is there a residential potential here ? It's always a really good idea to contact your planning agent because they can outline what you can and can't do , give you the pros and cons of your site and also advise on which planning route to take . Full planning isn't always necessary and we always , always , always advocate using your permitted development rights over and above any other route wherever possible . This is particularly true of agricultural buildings and tracks , residential and those commercial extensions .

Speaker 1 5:58

And then on to more fun stuff . We have something new on the phone in the business

New People-Carrying Trailer Announcement

Speaker 1 6:02

, don't we ? Which is our people-carrying trailer .

Speaker 3 6:05

Oh , it looks amazing , it looks really cool .

Speaker 1 6:08

So we have got a new Bailey people-carrying trailer which can hold up to 30 people , and if you're applying to Foxwood Rural , we're offering it out to you for your events . So speak to us if you are interested in using the people-carrying trailer .

Speaker 3 6:23

We're very excited about it . We want to have a ride in it quite quickly .