Webinar wrap-up: Class Q and R conversion opportunities

Agricultural land is an enticing option for many developers, but it can be tricky to know what’s best for your project.

The odds on granting agricultural to residential conversions are low – in fact, looking at applications that didn’t need prior approval, you find a rejection rate of 49.5%.

We spoke to Peter Higginbottom and Garry Hutchinson from Planning Insight about managing successful agricultural conversions in our recent webinar. 

Below we share our top three takeaways from the session. 

Key takeaways 

When to use Class Q and Class R

First up, let’s take a look at what Class Q and Class R actually are.

Put simply, they’re both permitted development rights centred on agricultural conversions. But, they each serve different purposes and it is important to understand the circumstances in which they can be used. 

• Class Q – allows agricultural buildings to be converted to residential properties (and is more familiar to most developers)
• Class R – allows agricultural buildings to be converted to a number of commercial uses

From a planning perspective, Class R is generally easier to get approval for as the change of use is applied for first, making it easier to apply for operational development afterwards. 

Which option you choose will largely depend on your goal.

But it’s worth bearing in mind that although resi is typically more profitable, the time and money saved with a Class R conversion could make it the smarter play. 

“It’s always worth perhaps testing the water with a Class Q and if you fail on that condition, you do have the fallback of the Class R.”- Garry

Growing appetite for commercial use

Barn-to-hotel conversions are a big selling point for Class R, particularly with the increasing demand for UK holidays. 

However, Class R can be used for other  commercial conversions, including:

• Shops
• Offices
• Restaurants

There’s also quite a bit of flexibility with Class R. You may initially convert to a hotel, but further down the line this can change to any of the commercial uses listed under Class R. 

Many developers are branching out from residential and exploring the diverse options that commercial conversion can open up. 

“For several years, there’s been very much a focus on residential and changes of use to residential. And I think people are now opening themselves up to other opportunities.” – Peter

Don’t just rely on permitted development 

When looking at an agricultural site, the first question should be “will permitted development work here?“.

If it does, great. But make sure you’re not overlooking other planning strategies that could make your life easier. 

“If you’ve got the right site and the circumstances work in your favour, Class Q and Class R can be fantastic but they’re not the be all and end all.” – Garry

In fact, having multiple ways of cutting the planning argument could give you an edge over other developers. 

It’s worth taking a look at policies from your local authority that could sit alongside Class R and Class Q.

For example, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) actually encourages the reuse of agricultural buildings. 

Watch the on-demand webinar now

Eager for more tips on converting agricultural properties using Class Q and Class R? Fear not, we have just the on-demand webinar for you. 

Catch all of Garry and Peter’s insights in the video below.