Planning & Development News
Converting buildings in the countryside - commercial issues
Some of the most frequent enquiries received by Cheffins’ Planning and Development Department are from farmers who want to convert an old barn into a house or redevelop their farmyards for small residential estates. Cheffins discusses problems in the comm
Some of the most frequent enquiries received by Cheffins’ Planning and Development Department are from farmers who want to convert an old barn into a house or redevelop their farmyards for small residential estates. Many barns and outbuildings have become surplus to requirements as farming practices change – for example contracting out grain storage rather than dealing with it on the farm – and older buildings become unsuitable for use by modern machinery or fail to meet health and safety standards.
On the face of it, such schemes should be straightforward, shouldn’t they? After all, the buildings are there and the government is always going on about re-using assets and developing previously used (“brownfield”) land, so that green fields stay just that! However we are finding that it is becoming more difficult to gain consent for such schemes. In particular, local planning authorities are now requiring applicants to demonstrate that the existing buildings are unsuitable for commercial, leisure (including tourist accommodation) or community use - or there is no demand for such uses – before they will even consider accepting a planning application for residential use. It is no use just putting up a “To Let – Commercial premises” board and hoping that there are no takers, a much more robust approach is now required.
Fortunately our in-house Commercial Department can advise on realistic commercial prospects and setting appropriate rental levels or valuations. It can undertake targeted marketing exercises, as well as using traditional and web-based marketing techniques and produce a comprehensive marketing report to support a future planning application. In addition we will make contact with the local authority’s economic development and tourism officers who may be able to assist with evidence of demand for particular types of property and add the site to their database of available commercial premises. We will also contact parish councils, community groups and other bodies such as primary care trusts, to establish whether there may be any demand from those quarters.
Of course, it may be that all this effort results in a commercial user coming forward, in which case you might have to rethink your residential scheme, but at least you will have a new source of income! Our experience suggests that old farm buildings will often be unattractive to commercial users and a persuasive case can therefore usually be made for releasing sites for residential use.
Once commercial development has been ruled out, all you have to deal with is bats and barn owls, flood risk, building conservation issues, design, access......Let us guide you through the process.