Today we’re looking to answer the question, “What is Class Q Permitted development?”.
As a refresher on permitted development, you can view our blog post on the differences between planning permission and permitted development.
Class Q is a specific form of planning permission which resides within the classification of permitted development.
Class Q permitted development essentially offers the owner of an agricultural building a streamlined path to change the use of that building into a residential dwelling as long as certain parameters are satisfied.
Potential Benefits of Class Q
Without a doubt, many owners of agricultural land and buildings could benefit from Class Q development. The regulations, introduced in 2015, allow change of use to be applied to former agricultural buildings, to create new residences.
It’s thought that Class Q was brought about partly to help alleviate the growing issue of low availability of suitable available residences in rural locations.
As a form of permitted development, another potential benefit to land owners is that the planning process could be significantly cheaper, streamlined and faster to obtain than traditional planning permission.
The reuse and repurposing of existing buildings has environmental and heritage benefits. By using old agricultural buildings as new residential dwellings we remove the need to build from scratch. This retains character in the building and preserves the look and feel of the local area for the benefit of all.
What is Permitted?
Firstly, your building must have been used for agricultural purposes prior to 20 March 2013.
It’s also important to note that Class Q cannot be applied to buildings situated in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), conservation areas or national parks.
However, should your building satisfy the requirements you are potentially able to:
- Create up to 3 larger dwellings (Upwards of 100m² but not exceeding 465m² in total)
- Create up to 5 smaller dwellings (Up to 100m² each)
- It is possible to combine the 2 above points as long as you do not exceed 5 units in total (So you could have 4 x 100m² dwellings + 1 x 465m² dwelling)
What are the Restrictions?
A few of the restrictions surrounding Class Q permitted development have been mentioned above.
There are a few more considerations that landowners should be aware of:
- It’s important to understand that any development must be within the footprint of the existing agricultural building
- You cannot raise the existing roof height
- Class Q does not allow building operations other than the installation or replacement of windows, doors, roofs, or exterior walls
- Note that works related to water, drainage, electricity, gas or other services regarded as reasonably necessary for the building to function as a dwelling are permitted
The Legislation
You can find the government legislation here.
Get the Advice you Need
If you are still unsure whether your property qualifies for more Class Q permitted development. Or simply require more information on the subject. You can contact Simple Planning Solutions using the contact links in the footer of this post.
It’s always a common sense approach to get expert advice before embarking on a building project.
Michelle Hill MRTPI
As a leading planning consultant I can help with the topics covered in this post. Contact me and I can find you a solution to your planning problem.
