| Buildings
Transforming farm buildings into rural homes
Finding themselves priced out of rural areas where they grew up, younger residents are leaving to find housing they
can afford. Thanks to new Permitted Development planning laws however disused farm buildings can be transformed
into good quality homes for rent or sale, meaning families can stay in the area and an asset is brought back into use for
farmers.
mismatch between housing
supply and demand in rural
areas is forcing many residents
to move to cities to find good
affordable housing for
themselves and their families. A
solution which could defuse this demographic
time bomb, while also giving disused farm
buildings a new lease of life, is being trialled by
one company across several farms in
Cambridgeshire.
In April 2014 the Government confirmed that
permitted development rights within the 2012
National Policy Framework would enable
change of use of agricultural buildings to
residential, flexible (i.e. commercial) or
educational use. With many farmers having
disused and dilapidated barns or other
buildings on their land which are no longer fit
for purpose and present a maintenance
headache, the potential to turn them into
desirable and practical rural family homes and
generate income in the process is tempting. In
reusing existing building assets the idea is
environmentally sustainable as well as being
economically sustainable as a new long-term
revenue stream for farmers.
As one example in Cambridgeshire,
contractor Richardson & Peat has been
commissioned by AgReserves Ltd which owns
farmland across the county to put together a
A
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design team to convert under permitted
development their semi-derelict barns into high
quality homes for rent to local people.
Permitted development rules
The following rules form a basic guide to
developing an agricultural building under
permitted development rights:
• Developments cannot be larger than 450m²
and must fall within existing footprint.
• The previous use must be solely
agricultural.
• The maximum number of separate
dwellings on one site is three.
• The building cannot be Listed.
• No previous permitted developments can
have been accepted or built on the same farm.
• The site is not in a safety hazard area or site
of scientific interest or of military use.
• The site complies with any requirements if it
falls within a flood zone.
• The building will comply with current
Building Regulations when constructed.
To proceed with taking on this challenge a
good architect is essential in understanding not
only rural design and planning but also the
needs of future occupants. It’s unlikely that an
existing barn will be in a condition in order to
meet new housing standards in Building
Regulations so the adaption of the existing barn
must provide a new thermal envelope as a key
component to the construction alongside good
natural light levels from windows and doors.
Structural engineers can also be critical
particularly if you are looking at older barns
where substantial work is going to be needed
to strengthen existing foundations and new and
existing floors and walls. Above all the final
design should provide a good practical living
environment for a family.
With this planning option available farm
living gives local people wishing to stay in the
area an opportunity that would otherwise not
be available and it also opens up the possibility
for people looking to move back to a rural
surrounding from an urban environment. From
a farmers prospective it’s crucial that the
building is laid out thoughtfully to maximise its
asset value as this is a once only application
under permitted development rules. The
Cambridgeshire project will widen the housing
choices for local residents, but could provide a
template for other farmers looking to take up
the idea which would create a major impact
across the UK. From a financial position
farmers looking to develop are likely to be
given a fair hearing from lenders given that the
land is already a free asset and would bring an
impressive return on any borrowing, meaning
there is a realistic opportunity to turn thousands
of obsolete rural buildings into badly-needed
homes for future generations.
September 2017 | Farming Monthly | 35