GPDO changes come into force – Agricultural to Residential
Today provisions that will allow agricultural buildings to be converted into residential dwellings under the General Permitted Development Order (permitted developments do not need full planning approval) came into force.
Whilst on the face of it this is good news, allowing up to 450 m2 of agricultural building that was in agricultural use prior to 3rd July 2013 to be converted into up to 3 dwellings, exclusions apply within National Parks, AONB’s and Conservation Area’s. New doors, windows and services are all provided for within the new rules.
‘Prior Approval’ may still be required by the local authority and there is scope for them to consider ‘whether to location or siting of the building makes it otherwise impractical or undesirable for the building to change from agricultural use’. Clearly there is room for interpretation here and different authorities will have different views on what is acceptable – watch this space over the coming months!
Whilst for many this will seems a sensible and pragmatic solution to housing provision, there is likely to be value implications even if no action to obtain change of use is taken straightaway. The increase in ‘hope’ value – the amount that some might attribute to the risk of releasing a potentially significant uplift in value – should not be ignored and should be accounted for in any succession plans. Also, where a change of use is proposed, consideration should be given to ownership or occupation of the asset post development in order that value and taxation issues can be mitigated in advance.
Related posts
Many farmers and land managers will have selected options and entered new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) agreements from 2024. In order to satisfy the requirements of these agreements if
Farm diversification is a hotter topic than ever, with reduced BPS support and the new SFI Scheme leaving quite a gap in farm income levels. With planning support and
Partnership agreements are, without doubt, the most common business structure for farms in the UK. Partnerships are often undocumented and a bit of mystery, used by families solely to
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government are consulting on draft amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) until 24th September. Proposed changes will apply across England
The Environment Agency has recently recruited 84 agricultural Regulatory Inspection Officers to inspect farms and support farmers to protect the environment. The country has been divided into river catchments,
Shropshire based Rural Property and Compulsory Purchase experts, Wilson Fearnall, has announced the appointment of a qualified Rural Chartered Surveyor and RICS Registered valuer as its experienced team expands.
