What is Class Q?
Class Q is a permitted development right that allows qualifying agricultural buildings and certain former agricultural buildings to be converted into homes without a full planning application. Instead of a full application, the change is subject to prior approval from the local planning authority, subject to detailed criteria.
Class Q often suits a farmer or landowner with a redundant barn or farm building that could work as one or more homes. Cheffins advises on whether a building qualifies and on the prior approval required to secure the conversion.
Is your building eligible?
Class Q carries detailed conditions, and a building has to meet them to qualify. Up to 10 dwellings can be created under the right, subject to a maximum cumulative floorspace of 1,000 square metres and a maximum of 150 square metres per dwelling.
The building's agricultural history matters too. Where the building forms part of an established agricultural unit, it must have been part of that unit on 24 July 2023, or, where it joined the unit after that date, for at least 10 years. If the building ceased to be part of an established agricultural unit prior to 24 July 2023, then the building may still be eligible provided there have been no intervening uses. In certain circumstances, Class Q can also allow a single-storey rear extension of up to 4 metres.
Working out whether a particular building qualifies is rarely straightforward, so it is worth checking the position before you commit to a scheme.
Is your building structurally suitable?
Structural suitability is one of the most common reasons a Class Q scheme does not proceed, so it is worth establishing early. The building has to be capable of conversion without significant new structural work.
We arrange a structural survey to confirm that the building is sound and can be converted without significant structural improvements. A building that would need substantial rebuilding is unlikely to qualify.
What the council assesses
The council does not reconsider the principle of the conversion at prior approval, and looks instead at a defined set of matters. For a Class Q application, those are:
transport and highway impacts
noise impacts
contamination risks
flooding risks
the location and siting of the building
design and external appearance
adequate natural light to the habitable rooms
whether the new homes meet the nationally described space standards
A prior approval stands or falls on how well the scheme answers those points, which is where a well-prepared application earns its keep.
The prior approval process and timescales
A Class Q scheme is subject to prior approval rather than a full planning application. We prepare and submit the application, the council assesses the matters above, and its decision usually comes within 56 days. Work must not start until either prior approval has been issued or 56 days have passed without the council notifying its decision.
The quality of the submission makes a real difference, since the council is judging the scheme against those specific matters rather than its wider merits.
Common reasons a Class Q application doesn't proceed
Class Q is more demanding than it first looks, and applications come unstuck for a handful of recurring reasons. A common one is the building not having been in genuine agricultural use as a business or trade. Another is a curtilage that is too large for what the right allows. Structural suitability, covered above, is a third.
Where prior approval is refused, there may be an opportunity to appeal or submit a revised application. Obtaining appropriate planning advice at an early stage can help identify potential obstacles and reduce the risk of refusal.
When does Class Q not apply?
Class Q isn't available everywhere. Listed buildings are excluded, as are buildings within the curtilage of a listed building, and the right does not apply within a conservation area, a National Landscape, a National Park, the Broads or a World Heritage Site. A building that is no longer part of an agricultural unit and has also been used for purposes other than agriculture also falls outside Class Q.
A full planning application is often the route in these cases, and Cheffins can take that forward too.
After approval, and the onward opportunity
Prior approval is not the end of the process. Building regulations still apply to the conversion work itself, separately from the planning side.
The consent also creates choices. Cheffins has a long history of selling development opportunities, and holds a database of buyers for sites at every stage. We can confirm likely values and identify buyers for an opportunity at any point in the planning process, and at any point during construction. That flexibility means you can take advice throughout and decide when the time is right to sell.
We aim to add value at every stage of the development cycle, from critiquing a planning layout so it appeals to a developer at the design stage, through to advising on the finishing specification during construction. Very few planning consultants can offer that, because most stop at the consent.
Why Cheffins?
A Class Q scheme benefits from having planning, land and new homes expertise under one roof, so it is handled by people who understand consent, value and sale. Our planning and development team advises on barn conversions across the region, led by Kennedy Durrant MRTPI, Director, and Andy Brand MRTPI, Director.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert my barn without planning permission?
No. You still need prior approval from the local planning authority, or via the submission of a full application if your building does not meet the Class Q criteria.
How many homes can Class Q create?
Up to 10 dwellings, subject to a maximum cumulative floorspace of 1,000 square metres and 150 square metres per dwelling.
Does my barn qualify for Class Q?
A barn is likely to qualify where it is structurally sound, capable of conversion, and meets the qualifying criteria in the GPDO. We can check the position for you.
Can I sell my barn once I have Class Q approval?
Yes. Many owners sell once prior approval is secured, and Cheffins can handle that sale.
What is the difference between Class Q and a full barn conversion application?
Class Q is a more streamlined route to converting an agricultural building into dwellings. A full planning application is assessed against the development plan and other material planning considerations, including the principle of residential development, design, landscape impact and any relevant site constraints.
Importantly, consent under a Class Q requires the development to be completed within three years of the date permission is granted. Conversely, full applications require a development to be implemented within three years of the date of consent.
Does Class Q apply to a listed barn or one in a National Landscape?
No. Class Q does not apply to listed buildings, or to barns in a National Landscape or the other protected areas.
Speak to the planning team
Not sure whether your barn qualifies for Class Q? Send us the location, some photographs and a little of the building's history, and we can check the position and set out your options. Get in touch with the planning team or request a callback.