Permitted Development

The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended) - 'the GPDO' - provides a general planning permission (known as 'permitted development rights') for certain types of minor development. The types of permitted development most likely to be of benefit to farmers include:

• temporary uses of land;
  
• agricultural buildings below a certain size;
  
• forestry buildings and forestry roads;
  
• caravan sites and related buildings in some circumstances.
  

Permitted development rights are not available for farm or forestry dwellings, or for livestock units sited near residential and similar buildings.

Before making use of some agricultural permitted development rights, you should check if the local planning authority require their prior approval for certain details of the proposed development. In the case of an agricultural building this will cover its siting, design and external appearance.

Exceptionally, permitted development rights may have been withdrawn. In those circumstances, a planning application may be necessary, although no fee will be payable.