The Farmer's Planning Podcast

Summer Planning Essentials for Farmers

• Guy French • Season 3 • Episode 2

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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.


Speaker 1:

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:

Hello, Hello sorry.

Speaker 1:

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:

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. 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:

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:

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 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:

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:

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:

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 world.

Speaker 3:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

Speaker 2:

Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 1:

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. 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:

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:

And then on to more fun stuff. We have something new on the phone in the business, don't we? Which is our people-carrying trailer.

Speaker 3:

Oh, it looks amazing, it looks really cool.

Speaker 1:

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:

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