The consultation was first announced at the end of last year, and sought to streamline applications in the sector and cut red tape.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government probe included a potential reframing of the Principle of Development that would mean local planning authorities would be expected to give a default ‘yes’ to many agricultural and horticultural developments in rural areas, except in exceptional circumstances.
It also included proposed changes to BNG (biodiversity net gain) rules to make them easier to meet on smaller and medium-sized sites, although not the exemptions for agricultural buildings, including glasshouses, poultry units and potato stores, that the NFU has sought.
“The NFU is urging government to ensure the planning system supports future growth and provides long-term business resilience and viability.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Ambitious proposals
BNG has proved particularly contentious for highly productive, but small-footprint farming and growing operations, such as glasshouses, where there is often no space to deliver the mandatory 10% increase in biodiversity on site. Visit our BNG consultation page for more information.
New protections for agricultural land and support for rural diversifications, energy projects and on-farm reservoirs also featured in the consultation.
Taken together with wider proposals, the package would represent a significant rewrite of the National Planning Policy Framework published in December 2024.
The consultation closed on 10 March and the NFU will maintain the pressure for meaningful change as part of its long-running lobbying on planning issues, as the government considers its response.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw was “pleased the government is looking to streamline the planning process and has brought forward ambitious proposals to cut red tape and speed up applications to better support farm productivity and UK food security”.
Unnecessary barriers
As the NFU filed its consultation response, Tom added: “Under existing planning policy, two key growth sectors within our industry, horticulture and poultry, face unnecessary barriers to development and many farmers looking to upgrade existing infrastructure struggle to obtain permissions.
“We want to see changes to the framework that will incentivise farmers to invest in new buildings, allowing them to adopt improved technology, deliver higher welfare standards and reduce environmental impacts.
“We also have concerns about how policies will be interpreted at a local level, particularly alongside statutory environmental regulations. Plans can often be delayed or halted at this early stage.
“The NFU is urging government to ensure the planning system supports future growth and provides long-term business resilience and viability, so farmers can continue to produce food for the nation alongside their work in protecting and enhancing the environment.”
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Planning reform consultation – NFU submits response
