What does Class A Part 6 cover?
Class A, part of Part 6 of the GPDO, is a permitted development right that allows agricultural buildings to be erected, extended or altered on a qualifying agricultural unit without a full planning application, within limits. Class A Part 6 also allows excavation and engineering operations on the unit where they are reasonably necessary for agriculture, subject to the limits it sets out.
Class A Part 6 applies to established agricultural units of 5 hectares or more.
Does your holding qualify?
Class A Part 6 applies to agricultural units of 5 hectares or more. However, permitted development rights don't apply where the development is carried out on a separate parcel of land forming part of the unit that is less than 1 hectare.
An agricultural unit is agricultural land occupied as a unit for the purposes of agriculture. A unit can be made up of several parcels of land that you farm, and it doesn't have to be limited to the field where you plan to use the right.
Previous permitted development on the site can restrict the use of Class A Part 6. Specifically:
Class Q (agricultural to residential) or Class S (agricultural to state-funded school): where development under either right has taken place on the established agricultural unit within the preceding 10 years, Class A cannot normally be used to erect or extend an agricultural building.
Class R (agricultural to flexible commercial): a previous Class R conversion doesn't restrict the use of Class A Part 6.
A holding under 5 hectares can't use Class A Part 6, so a new building there needs full planning permission. Class B allows extensions to existing buildings on smaller holdings, but not new buildings.
Is the building reasonably necessary for the farm?
The central test in a Class A Part 6 case is that the building is genuinely needed for the agriculture on the unit, and that it will be used for agricultural purposes only.
You'll need to evidence why the building is necessary, such as a need for more storage for farm machinery, harvested crops or livestock. The scale of the building may need to be justified against the size of the unit. The land also has to be in genuine agricultural use as a business, rather than hobby or domestic use.
The limits and conditions of Class A Part 6
Class A Part 6 comes with detailed limits:
Class A Part 6 generally permits agricultural buildings covering up to 1,500m² of ground area. A separate 1,000m² limit applies to certain works and structures for accommodating livestock and plant or machinery associated with engineering operations. Both limits are subject to the detailed measurement and aggregation rules.
A building can be up to 12 metres high, reduced to 3 metres within 3 kilometres of an aerodrome.
A building can't sit within 25 metres of the metalled part of a trunk or classified road, meaning the hard surface such as cement, concrete or tarmac.
Development involving livestock accommodation or the storage of slurry or sewage sludge is subject to additional restrictions within 400 metres of a protected building, which can include residential and certain other occupied buildings.
The erection or extension of a building or a building that is, or is within the curtilage of, a scheduled monument is prohibited.
Other structures, works, plant, machinery or ponds provided on the unit in the previous two years and within 90 metres of the proposed building can also limit what Class A Part 6 allows.
When is prior approval needed?
Before putting up a new agricultural building, or altering or forming a private way, you'll need to notify the council, so it can decide whether prior approval is needed. This step is called agricultural prior notification.
Extensions or alterations to existing agricultural buildings are exempt from prior approval, provided the building isn't on Article 2(4) land, which includes National Parks, the Broads and certain adjoining areas, and the works aren't considered significant. An extension or alteration becomes "significant" where it increases the original building's cubic content by more than 10%, or where it exceeds the building's original height.
The process and timescales
The council has 28 days to notify the applicant whether prior approval is required. Where prior approval is not required, or where the council fails to respond within that period, development can generally proceed in accordance with the submitted details, provided all Class A requirements are satisfied.
Development undertaken through the agricultural prior notification procedure must generally be carried out within five years. Certain notification requirements also apply following completion, while additional conditions can require buildings to be removed if their agricultural use permanently ceases within 10 years.
When will you need full permission instead?
Full planning permission may be required where the proposed development exceeds the limitations of Class A or fails to satisfy its qualifying criteria. Significant extensions and alterations can still be permitted under Class A, although they are subject to prior notification and may require prior approval.
Why Cheffins?
A successful Class A Part 6 application shouldn't happen in isolation. Cheffins takes a whole-farm approach, so your new building aligns with your wider business goals. By bringing our planning, rural and land experts together, we give you one trusted adviser to handle both the building itself and the future of your holding.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a new agricultural building?
A new agricultural building under 1,500 square metres can be put up without full planning permission, but it goes through the council's prior approval process first.
How big can I build a farm building without full planning permission?
Under Class A Part 6, a building of up to 1,500 square metres can be built, subject to prior approval from the council.
What if my holding is smaller than the Class A Part 6 threshold?
A holding under 5 hectares needs full planning permission for a new agricultural building. Class B allows extensions to existing buildings on holdings between 0.4 hectares and 4.99 hectares, but not new buildings.
Does a new farm building need prior approval?
Not always. You must notify the council of the proposed works, and it will confirm whether prior approval is required.
Speak to the planning team
Not sure what your holding can build under Class A Part 6? Send us the details, and we can check the position and set out your options. Get in touch with the planning team or request a callback.