Prior Approval Consents - Part Q conversion agricultural building to dwellinghouses
We have recently been granted Prior Approval to convert a number of agricultural buildings in the Saddleworth area of the Greater Manchester Green Belt into dwellinghouses as permitted under Part 3, Class Q of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015. These have included conversions at Sandy Lane Farm, Heights Fold Farm and Springhill Farm.
To meet the provisions of Class Q, strict criteria must be satisfied including the agricultural buildings having been used for the purposes of agriculture on the 20 March 2013, or last used for agriculture before that date if unused on 20 March 2013. Class Q development does not apply for buildings built after March 2013.
Part Q a. and b. of the Act allows for the following:
To meet the provisions of Class Q, strict criteria must be satisfied including the agricultural buildings having been used for the purposes of agriculture on the 20 March 2013, or last used for agriculture before that date if unused on 20 March 2013. Class Q development does not apply for buildings built after March 2013.
Part Q a. and b. of the Act allows for the following:
- Creation of up to 3 larger dwellings (up to 465 sq m); up to 5 smaller dwellings (up to 100 sq metres each) or a combination of larger and smaller dwellings of which the number of larger dwellings cannot exceed three and the total number of dwellings cannot exceed five on each established agricultural unit by conversion of existing buildings;
- The development must not result in the external dimensions extending beyond the external dimensions of the existing building at any given point;
- The installation or replacement of windows, doors, roofs, exterior walls, water, drainage, electricity, gas and other services to the extent reasonably necessary for the building to function as a dwelling;
- Partial demolition to the extent reasonably necessary to carry out the building operations above.
- The curtilage of the dwellings should not be any larger than the land area occupied by the agricultural building.
