If you’re thinking about building stables, new barns, or residential dwellings on your agricultural land and don’t have planning permission, what can or can’t build will vary wildly. But, having said that, the answer is, you can build more than you might thin without planning, but only if you use the correct permitted development rights (PDRs) and handle the prior approval steps correctly.
Below is a practical overview for England, plus how Intelligent Land can turn “a small shed” into “a strategic value play” – as we show you how you can increase the value of your agricultural land with our help.
The essentials: PDRs vs planning permission
Agricultural permitted development sits mainly in the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO). Instead of a full planning permission application to build on agricultural land, many works are allowed outright, or via a lighter-touch prior approval process. If you manage to get the details right and then you move quickly, it can work for you. However, if you get them wrong, you risk enforcement or missed value (which is how we can help).
What you can build on agricultural land without planning permission
New buildings, extensions and tracks (Part 6)
Recent reforms expanded what farms can do without full planning:
- Units ≥5 hectares (Class A): You can erect or extend agricultural buildings up to 1,500 m² (previously 1,000 m²). Where the building is for livestock, the cap for new floorspace remains 1,000 m². Private ways (farm tracks), hardstanding and certain engineering works are also permitted, subject to limits and siting rules.
- Units 0.4–<5 hectares (Class B): You can extend or alter existing buildings; the overall ground area limit for extended buildings is now 1,250 m² (up from 1,000 m²). The permissible cubic content increase has risen from 20% to 25%. New buildings aren’t permitted under Class B, but plant, tracks and hard surfaces often are.
Do note the scheduled monument caveat: PD for new buildings and extensions on scheduled monuments has been removed (with transitional arrangements), so early constraints scanning is essential.
Converting barns to homes (Class Q)
Class Q (change of use to dwellinghouses) was overhauled in May 2024 (here’s how it applies to barns).
- Up to 10 homes can now be delivered (was 5), within an overall 1,000 m² cap, with a 150 m² max per dwelling.
- The scope widened to include certain former agricultural buildings and clarified build operations.
- Prior approval remains mandatory (for transport, design, contamination, flooding, natural light and more).
- Protected landscapes: Class Q does not apply in National Parks and National Landscapes.
These changes materially expand rural housing options but the technical tests still bite, especially structural integrity, access and amenity.
Converting to commercial uses (Class R)
Want income from building on agricultural land without planning permission and without going residential?
In that case, Class R lets you convert agricultural buildings to flexible commercial uses (e.g., Class E uses, B8 storage, C1 hotel). In 2024 the floorspace cap doubled to 1,000 m² and the list of permitted uses widened to include processing of raw goods produced and sold on site (not livestock), agricultural training, and certain outdoor sport/recreation within the curtilage.
Prior approval is required, but it’s typically faster than full planning.
Pop-up campsites and events (Part 4)
If you’re testing diversification:
Temporary recreational campsites (Class BC): Operate for up to 60 days per calendar year without full planning, subject to conditions (numbers of pitches, facilities, ecology, highways, etc.). This replaced the old 28-day approach for campsites. Local variations and licensing still apply, so please check with your local authority.
The practical limits (and common trip-ups)
Even when PD applies, you must meet conditions and exclusions: distances from highways, heights, design/materials, proximity to protected sites, and agricultural “reasonably necessary” tests. Many PD routes also require you to notify the LPA and/or obtain prior approval before starting. Starting works prematurely is a classic (and costly) mistake.
Still want to build on agricultural land without planning permission? Here’s where Intelligent Land changes the outcome
Most people ask, “what can I build without permission?”
Our clients ask a better question: “What’s the highest-value outcome, and what’s the fastest route to get there?”
That’s where Intelligent Land and our Land Value Accelerator™ (LVA Method™) come in.
The LVA Method™ (three steps to increase farmland value)
- Review Planning Permissions – We audit your site’s planning status, constraints, and PD potential (Part 6, Class Q/R, Article 4, designations).
- Undertake Research – Technical, legal, BNG/ESG, access and utilities, viability, heritage and ecology — the evidence that de-risks decisions.
- Scenario Testing – Our AI models game out PD-only, prior-approval, and full-permission routes: barns vs. homes vs. commercial vs. mixed, including phasing and revenue stacking.
Result?
Clients can see £1m+ value uplift within 24 hours of testing, because the optimal strategy is rarely “just a small shed”. It might be a 1,500 m² grain store now; Class R flexible workspace within months; then a Class Q residential tranche where viable — each step compounding value and exit options.
When to stay with PD — and when to step up to planning
- Stay with PD when speed and cash-flow are key, or you’re trialling a market (e.g., 60-day campsite, modest building expansion, storage).
- Step up to planning when the uplift exceeds the friction — for example, larger floorspace, premium design quality, or uses beyond PD (or where PD is marginal due to constraints). Our modelling often shows that a targeted full application (with the right evidence) beats a minimalist PD approach on net value and certainty.
Next steps
If you’re sitting on agricultural land, the law now gives you more headroom – but the biggest wins come from stacking the right rights and knowing when to pivot to planning.
Unlock hidden millions today. Book a free LVA scoping call and we’ll map your fastest, highest-value route using the latest GPDO allowances.
Notes: This article summarises rules in England as of 3 November 2025. Always confirm local restrictions (e.g., Article 4 directions) and obtain prior approvals/notifications where required.
