Recent changes to permitted development rights (PDRs) mean that farmers will be allowed to increase the size of buildings on their land and convert more buildings to housing. PDRs allow particular building works and changes to be completed without the need to apply for full planning permission.
Announced by Dominic Raab, Housing Minister, last month, these changes mean that the size limit of new agricultural buildings under PDRs will increase from 465sq m to 1,000sq m and it will now be possible to create up to five new homes from existing farm buildings.
The government will also give applicants one additional year to benefit from the temporary PDR for the change of use of storage and distribution buildings into new homes. This right will now be extended until June 2019.
These planning rule changes are aimed to help meet housing needs in rural communities by making the best use of existing buildings. Hundreds of new homes are currently created each year through the conversion of agricultural buildings. It is hoped that these new rules will boost these numbers.
