Permitted development: conversion of agricultural buildings to flexible business use

In May 2013 the Government introduced new permitted development rights to convert agricultural buildings to flexible commercial uses in England. This legislation was then updated in April 2015, with the rules now being set out under Class R of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015. 

This Business Guide is a general overview, intended for those NFU members who wish to learn more about converting their agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use. The Guide is not designed to be a comprehensive guide to planning law and policy. It is always highly recommended that members consider engaging the services of a planning consultant, such as the NFU’s planning consultants CT Planning, regarding any specific proposal or scheme.

There is a separate Business Guide in this series for NFU members interested in converting redundant agricultural buildings for residential uses (Class Q).