The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: edessex on February 10, 2013, 12:27:18 am

Title: Use Classes / land use?
Post by: edessex on February 10, 2013, 12:27:18 am

This is a bit of a technical topic here!  Hopefully someone on here is in the know...

What Use Class is agricultural land, is it B1 (business)?  If land has been used for crops, is permission from the council requiredto change to livestock, and vice versa?

What Use Class would storing and maintaining agricultural equipment (as a business) fall under, B1, B8 (storage & distribution), etc?

Thanks in advance!

Title: Re: Use Classes / land use?
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on February 10, 2013, 08:31:05 am

Not sure about your first questin re B1. Re the second, no you wouldnt need PP to change from crops to livestock - both are agricultural use. However if there is any single farm payment being claimed or any other scheme then there may be rules about when/how much of the land has to stay as pasture as it might be classified as permanent pasture.
Storing your own agricultural equipment would count as agricultural and modest buildings to do that are easier to put up on holdings over 5hectares as they can be done under agric pre notification to the planners rather than a full PP app (certain restrictions apply), whereas livestock housing always needs PP.
But if you start doing work for others with your equipment, then it would be a different use and would need different PP than agricultural.

Title: Re: Use Classes / land use?
Post by: edessex on February 10, 2013, 08:37:45 am

Thanks for the reply.  What use would it be if I was using the equipment for others / repairing other peoples equipment?

I was told pig pens and chicken coops don't need PP, is that incorrect then, or does it depend on the LPA?

Title: Re: Use Classes / land use?
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on February 10, 2013, 06:06:50 pm

Portable structures eg moveable pig arks and chicken coops would prob fall outside planning: anything permanent would need planning as all livestock housing does if it is perm. The definitions I have seen don't make any specific exemptions for pigs or chickens so I think it has arisen as if kept free range the housing can escape the planners grasp if it is moveable ..
 you might find the attached link useful, although out of date it has useful info on when pp is needed on farms (the link to the PDF doc halfway down ESP useful)


If not classed as agric it would prob be B1 business or B2 industrial but not sure as it depends exactly on what you are doing
This link (no guarantees it's up to date) gives the description for eachhttp://www.planning-applications.co.uk/uconewclasses.htm

Title: Re: Use Classes / land use?
Post by: bazzais on February 14, 2013, 05:46:30 pm

Farms dont generally fall under B1 business use - ie you dont pay business rates on a farm in general.