Permitted Development Updates – including Part 3 Class Q and R & Part 6
The government has now revised the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) with some important updated
permitted development rights. The changes come into effect on the 21st May 2024 and are the result of a
consultation exercise which still has scoped out Class Q from National Parks or the National Landscape (formerly
known as AONB).
The following changes apply:
Class Q Changes – agricultural buildings to dwellinghouses
- The maximum number of dwellings to be converted to residential has risen from 5 to 10.
- The amount of floorspace that can be converted to residential has risen to 1000sqm. But each house cannot
exceed 150sqm of floorspace. - An extension can be included in the proposal – this has to be:
o To the rear of the existing building but not to extend more than 4m from the rear wall.
o On an existing hard surface (and that hard surface has been there for 10 years).
o Not more than one storey, and no higher than the existing roof or 4m above the ground. - The converted building can now protrude 0.2m (to accommodate building operations – windows, doors,
cladding etc.) - Requirement for building to have been used ‘solely’ for agricultural use has been removed.
- Barns that are no longer part of an agricultural unit and have no other use can be converted (key date is now
24th July 2023 if in active agricultural use, with the 10-year rule still applies if the agricultural use had ceased). - If a barn was built under full planning before 24th July 2023, then can convert under Class Q, but if they were
built under permitted development, then they still have to wait 10 years to be able to convert. - Confirms the need for a suitable access to a public highway and that the converted dwelling must meet
nationally described space standards.
Class R Changes – agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use - Now includes a change of use to B2 (general industrial), but only for the processing of raw goods, not livestock,
produced on site and Class F.2(c) (outdoor sport of recreation), or for the provision of agricultural training. - A maximum of 1,000 sqm of floorspace across the agricultural unit will be able to be converted.
01983 828800 |0 bcm.co.uk - An increase in the size of new agricultural buildings possible under Part 6 Class A to 1,500 sqm.
Part 6 – Class B – agricultural development on units of 5 hectares or more
- An increase in the possible size of extensions to agricultural buildings to extend the cubic content to 25% and
the ground area up to 1,250 sqm.
The full changes to the legislation can be found at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/579/contents/made
