The best of our
Barns

Barns scatter the South Hams landscape and represent fantastic opportunities for farm diversification and development. Whether you own a modern agricultural building, a traditional stone barn, or are on the look-out to purchase one as an investment opportunity, agricultural buildings present a real prospect for residential or commercial development.

Class Q Permitted Development Rights provide the opportunity to develop agricultural buildings into dwellings where the building accords with a strict set of criteria. Providing the subject building meets the requirements, Class Q presents a real prospect to provide rural housing and farm diversification. The Government are presently consulting to extend the Class Q legislation to allow more buildings to become eligible for conversion so watch this space! 

Traditional stone barns represent heritage assets that are intrinsic to the South Hams landscape. As a result, planning policy accepts the conversion of traditional stone barns as a means to conserve landscape character and protect their condition. Unlike Class Q applications, applications to convert stone barns must adhere to local planning policies. However, opportunities to convert traditional stone barns are not restricted to certain landscapes like Class Q so may present a viable means to achieving dwellings or holiday units to supplement agricultural incomes. 

Finally, Class R provides a streamlined route to achieving a change of use of an agricultural building to flexible commercial uses that present economic opportunities to the developer and local community. Similarly to the Class Q legislation, provided that the agricultural building in question accords with a small set of criteria, barns can be converted into uses such as workshops, storage facilities and cafés. 

If you own or have an interest in a barn and would like to discuss its opportunities for development, please get in touch with our 
Rural Planning Team on 01803 869921.