Planning changes open up opportunities for next rural generation
In February of this year the Government published its third amendment to the National Planning Policy Framework.
The amended policies in the NPPF have been “material considerations” in determining planning applications since their publication a few weeks ago.
The NPPF reinforces the over-arching message that the “plan-led” approach drives development with the primary objective being to boost housing supply. This means that decisions on planning applications are taken with reference to the context of local, neighbourhood and strategic plans or the National Planning Policy Framework if these plans are indeterminate, silent or out of date.
The contents of the NPPF represent a shift away from the priorities of the 2012 NPPF which were sustainable development, economic growth and localism.
For rural developments and rural housing it is noted that at Paragraph 79 with regard to rural workers' dwellings, the need to establish that there is an essential need for a rural worker to live permanently at or near their place of work in the countryside has been altered to include those taking the majority control of a farming business.
This opens up more possibilities to allow for the next farming generation to obtain housing at their place of work. It should also be noted within the Economic Development Chapter of the NPPF that there is now a planning policy included for supporting a prosperous rural economy.
Local plans should take into account these changes in policy, but where “silent” these changes to the NPPF will be considerable “material considerations” when determining any applications going forward.
If you are considering development of a dwelling on your land, please contact us.
Paul Madeley MRICS MRAC is managing director of Madeleys Chartered Surveyors, Much Wenlock
