Planning policies are commonly very restrictive in rural locations. Development within Greenbelts and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are strictly controlled, and even non-designated land outside of settlement boundaries is evaluated under tight guidelines.
There is generally a presumption against development in the countryside, however there are possible routes open to you.
- Conversion or replacement of existing buildings is one way round the problem although the size of the building is generally restricted;
- If you have an agricultural need for a dwelling and can prove a financial and functional need then Planning Policy Statement 7 offers a possible route to secure permission;
- Finally, if you are on the edge of a rural designation then it can be possible to lobby the Council when they come to review their planning boundaries.
Plainview Planning offers the following services to rural planning applications and appeals:
- Feasibility Study – This normally forms Stage 1 of our projects. We review local policies and precedents to assess your chances of securing permission.
- Design – If we consider development is possible and broadly complies with local policy then we set about helping architects come up with a design that maximises space whilst remaining within the confines set by the Council.
- Planning and Design Statements – All of our applications are accompanied with comprehensive statements setting out the policy background of the proposed works and the steps we have taken to create a permissible scheme. We always try and second guess a Council’s potential reasons for refusal and make sure we have an answer in place.
- Other studies - Some sites require specialist studies. Many of these Plainview Planning can undertake in-house including light surveys, contextual studies, 3D modeling and Functional and Financial tests.
- Submission of application - All of our applications are submitted via the online 1APP system for speed and convenience.
- Liaison with case officer - Throughout the determination of the planning application we regularly contact the case officer to answer any concerns they may have.
Project Example
Case Studies
- Rural rebuild in countryside, Waverley District Council - Very restrictive policies limiting replacement dwellings to 10% of original size. Following analysis of national policy and presentation of precedents we were able to persuade the Council to allow an 80% increase in floorspace for the rebuild and also disprove that the site fell within green belt.
- Extension to converted barn, Horsham District Council - Originally resisted by the Council for failing to respect the historic character, we identified an appeal precedent that dismissed the policy the refusal was based upon.
