Planning & Design

Our team at Hardcastle Rural can assist with farm building design, layout and planning applications for a wide range of building types.  

We have the knowledge of practical agriculture together with an understanding of the planning system which enables us to assist with the design and layout of new farm buildings. Coupled with our understanding of the regulatory requirements and available grants, we are well placed to advise on farm infrastructure projects.  From cattle buildings to straw sheds, slurry stores to silage clamps, we are able to design and draw technical drawings to aid planning applications. 

We can advise on the requirement for Permitted Development and Full Planning and assist from start to finish in the planning application process.

 We are often asked by farmers and landowners if they can achieve planning for a new farm building or structure under Permitted Development with its simplified process. The answer is not always straight forward and requires an understanding of the rules for PD applications on farms. 

Summarising the requirements, the landowner must occupy a minimum of 5ha (12.5ac) to be eligible for permitted development, there after the limit on floorspace is a maximum of 1,500 sqm in any 2 year period. This last point can be constantly changing and you should consider carefully when to submit an application to maximise the use of PD rights.  The other key point to consider is the use of the building or structure, if it is to house livestock or to contain or store manure or slurry, it must be 400m from a protected dwelling to be eligible for a PD application. If you are unable to meet this criteria a full planning application will be required. 

The final points to consider are whether the proposed building is within 25m of a trunk road and also the height of the structure if it is within 3km of an aerodrome.  

The key point to consider is that the development must be reasonably necessary for the purpose of agriculture, both in its design, location and proposed use. A justification statement setting out the need on the holding is advisable to confirm to the planners the reasons for the proposal.

Biodiversity Net Gain become compulsory on all full planning applications from April 2024. Applicants are required to assess the loss to any on site habitats, calculate this in terms of BNG units and provide either on-site or off-site mitigation to achieve a minimum of 10% gain across the development.

The team at Hardcastle Rural can advise you on the requirements and undertake assessments, calculations and reports to support your project.

To discuss your requirements please contact our office.

Appraisals are used in support of large scale development, justification for new farm workers dwellings and to substantiate planning applications which have received refusal or negative planning comments. 

At Hardcastle Rural we can assist with the preparation of full Farm Business Appraisals covering the functional and practical need for the development, a financial assessment of the the applicant and how the proposal fits within both local and national planning policy.

Working closely with local architects we can help to design developments which meet current planning policies while achieving the clients objectives.

To discuss your requirements please contact our office.

Whether it is for a small scale Glamping business or construction of industrial units, Hardcastle Rural are able to guide you through the process of achieving a varied and diverse income stream.

From initial planning advice and master plans to grants, tenancy and business advice, Hardcastle Rural can help get your diversification projects off the ground.

Our detailed knowledge of the Rural Economy help us to advise on a range of projects and can include help in sourcing grant support and bank funding, production of budgets and forecasts & advising on taxation planning.