Rural Planning Update - Neighbourhood Development Plan & What It Means For You

What Is A Neighbourhood Development Plan?

A Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) gives a local parish or town council the power to produce a development plan for their area. These often follow some public consultation to decide what its residents would like to see where. Within the plan they are able to choose where they want new homes as well as community buildings, leisure facilities and commercial property to be built. It provides a platform for them to have their say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided. NDP policies are often implemented through local Parish Council’s consultation on planning applications within their local area. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for developers, architects, planning consultants and householders to consult the NDP for their local area before planning the siting or design of a new development.

What Does It Mean For You?

Many rural parish councils are in the process of drawing up their NDP’s. Where an area does not yet have an NDP, this can be attractive to developers as they do not have any local policies to comply with in relation to the location of a new development, its size, design or other infrastructure that parishes would like to see provided as part of the proposal. Parish Council’s will still be consulted on new developments but without an NDP to back up their response to it, they have less power to oppose it. It is therefore important for landowners with land bordering existing villages or settlements to engage in their local NDP process in order to be aware of emerging policies that may affect their property in the future.

For more information or planning advice, get in touch.

New Capital Grant Funding Opportunities For Landowners

Following changes to Countryside Stewardship rules, greater opportunities have opened up for landowners wishing to claim capital grants and stewardship payments. 

Due to changes to the rules, landowners with tenanted land can now claim capital grants and annual stewardship payments under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. 

• Along with annual payments, capital grants are available for items such as the following:

  •        Fencing

  •        Sheep netting

  •        New hedgerows and restoration of existing hedgerows

  •       Stone walling

  •        Concreting yards

  •      Livestock drinking troughs

  •      Livestock and machinery tracks

  •      New field gates

  •      Permenant electric fencing

  •        Water gates

  •   Tree planting and tree guards

  •       Wildlife boxes

  •    Biofilters

  •       Drainage, piped culverts and ditches

  •        Tree surgery

  •        Rainwater goods

  •      Sheep dip related items and drainage

  •      Check dams

  •        Sprayer washdown areas

  • Watercourse crossings

  • Hard bases for feed and drinking troughs

  • Ram pumps, pastrure pumps and associated pipework

    (Further capital grants are available under the Higher Tier of the scheme).

• The scheme is due to open for applications in February. Those wishing to claim or enter the scheme this year have a short window to get prepared. Get in touch if you would like assistance with preparing an application or for further information on the scheme.

For further information or assistance with applications, get in touch.

Planning Extension To The Holiday Season

On 14 July 2020, the government published a statement encouraging local planning authorities to exercise their discretion in relation to planning conditions for caravan, campsites and holiday parks.

It sets out the approach local planning authorities should take to decision making for these businesses which were made temporarily vacant by Covid-19 business disruption. The statement also encourages local planning authorities not to undertake enforcement action which would unnecessarily restrict the ability of caravan, campsites and holiday parks to extend their open season.

The statement comes into effect on 14 July 2020 and will remain in place until 31 December 2022 unless superseded by a further statement.

All existing site licences and any conditions attached to them will remain in force. Local authorities could decide to alter any conditions attached to a licence to reflect any new planning requirements, but this will be subject to consultation with the owner who has a right of appeal against the decision.

The National Planning Policy Framework already emphasises that planning enforcement is a discretionary activity, and local planning authorities should act proportionately in responding to suspected breaches of planning control. Given the current situation, while local planning authorities must have regard to their legal obligations, they should not seek to undertake planning enforcement action which would unnecessarily restrict the ability of caravan, campsite and holiday parks to extend their open season.

For further information or assistance, please get in touch: e-mail: yvonne@daviesrural.co.uk or 07792761168.

Have Your Say on The ELMS Scheme

The Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) is set to replace the Basic Payment Scheme once it is phased out. The scheme is currently being developed and as part of the consultation process farmers and landowners are being given an opportunity to have their say in relation to some aspects of the proposed scheme. The closing date for consultation is 31st July 2020. Prior to this DEFRA are running a series of Webinars which interested parties can join to hear more about the scheme proposals. Further details can be found here:https://consult.defra.gov.uk/elm/elmpolicyconsultation/

Planning Success This Week

Davies Rural Property Consultants successfully gained planning consent from Cornwall Council this week on behalf of a client for a general purpose agricultural building for the storage of machinery and forage.

Planning Class Q Conversion of Agricultural Buildings To Residential - Avoiding The Pitfalls

Class Q conversions of agricultural buildings allow for conversion to residential use without the need for a full planning application. Any conversion under this type of application can provide residential permission for up to five homes in an agricultural building or converting and developing up to 465 square metres of floor space.

Although a full planning application is not required where a building is likely to fall within the Class Q criteria, a good deal of preparation goes into obtaining planning through this route. There are some key considerations and criteria that must be addressed:

• The building must be structurally sound and capable of conversion. There are tests and updated planning rules in relation to this which any building forming part of such an application must comply with. Essentially the building must be structurally capable of conversion to residential use. Internal works required as part of the conversion do not fall under this criteria.

• The building must have sufficient amenity space to make it suitable for use as a dwelling and the domestic curtilage must be no larger than twice the size of the existing building.

• The proposed conversion must fall within the footprint of the existing building and the proposal can not allow for any additional extensions to the building.

• The building must have been used for agriculture but its location must not be impractical or pose any health and safety issues for potential future residents of a dwelling. For example, a building located in the middle of a busy working farmyard would not be suitable from a planning as well as a practical perspective.

• Transport, noise and environmental factors such as contaminated land will also be key considerations which will need to be address as part of this type of application.

• Minor protrusions such as door steps, gutters, flues, window sills and cladding applied directly to the external walls are generally acceptable as part of this type of application.

• The responsibility is on the applicant to provide appropriate evidence to confirm the use of the building on the relevant date. It is recommended that statutory declarations, sworn statements, dated documents etc. are submitted with the Prior Notification Application to help support the applicant’s case should contrary evidence be provided by third parties.

• Class Q permitted development is not allowable on listed buildings or buildings located within the curtilage of another listed property. There are also a range of designated areas such AONB’s, where this type of permitted development is not allowed.

In some cases a planning application may be more appropriate and may be requested by the planning authority.

For assistance or advice in relation to Class Q Permitted Development applications, please get in touch: e-mail: yvonne@daviesrural.co.uk or phone: 07792761168.

Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier Deadline Extension

Farmers and landowners wanting to enter their land into a Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreement have been given an extension until 31st August 2020 to submit an application. In order to avail of the extension, applicants must inform Natural England prior to the original deadline of 31st July 2020 and must be in receipt of their application pack.

The scheme provides opportunities to claim an area-based payment which is paid per hectare of land entered into the scheme in return for implementing environmental management measures. The scheme operates on a points based system and the applicant chooses a range of environmental management options which suit their farming system. The applicant must also ensure that the chosen options fit around any Basic Payment Scheme Greening rules such as Ecological Focus Areas (EFA’s).

Along with the area-based payment, there are options to claim additional capital grant funding under the scheme. For applicants within a former Catchment Sensitive Farming area, this also encompasses Water Capital Grants for items such as fencing, concreting yards and covering yards, to name a few.

For more information or assistance with completing a Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier application, you can contact me on: e-mail: yvonne@daviesrural.co.uk. or 07792761168.

Planning Changes - Conversion of Business Units To Residential Use

The latest changes to planning permitted development rules allow some business units to be redeveloped to residential use. The new rules come into effect from 31st August 2020 and apply to buildings that were built before 1st January 1990.

The building must have been vacant for 6 months prior to any permitted development application and the the proposed residential use can only relate to residential flats or apartments. it does not apply for conversions to houses.

The proposal must comply with building regulations and the developer must prepare are construction management plan. the proposed conversion must mirror the existing footprint of the building and can not exceed 1,000 suare meters. The maximum height must not exceed 18 meters.

For further information, please feel free to get in touch: https://bit.ly/3jHaVg4

Up to £175,000 grant funding is now available for new and existing rural enterprises

The Growth Programme Grant Scheme has re-opened with funds from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).  Funding is available to new and existing rural enterprises for projects involving Rural Tourism, Rural Business Development or Food Processing as follows: 

Rural Tourism – there is a minimum grant of £20,000 and a maximum of £175,000. Funding is available to successful applicants of 40% of total costs. Eligible projects include enterprises such as holiday let, log cabins, glamping, conversion of redundant farm buildings for tourism along with cafes & tea rooms or expansion of current tourism enterprises. 

Business Development – there is a minimum grant of £20,000 and a maximum of £175,000. Funding is available to successful applicants of 40% of total costs. Eligible projects include Farm shops, conversion of redundant farm buildings, diversification into equine, wedding venues, microbreweries and many more. As well as expanding current business enterprises to increase profitability.

Food Processing – there is a minimum grant of £20,000 and a maximum of £175,000. Funding is available to successful applicants of 40% of total costs. Eligible projects include processing dairy products, vegetables, potatoes, grain, meat products and many more. This will include produce already processed or packed on the farm.

The deadline for Expressions of Interest for all three schemes is the 16th February 2020. Successful applicatants at the expression of interest stage will then be invited to complete a full application. 

The full application will assessed against the RDPE's scoring criteria and successful applicants will be awarded funding. The deadline for successful projects to claim the grant is 30th September 2021.

For assitance with applications, get in touch -

e-mail:yvonne@daviesrural.co.uk
or
Tel: 01503 240 555

www.daviesrural.co.uk

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