Planning laws have already been relaxed recently in relation to permitted development rights. Now, the Department for Communities and Local Government is inviting comment on the proposal to relax planning restrictions on farm barns in the United Kingdom for conversion without specific permission. At present planning authorities in the local area hotspots covered by South Cambridgeshire or Uttlesford District Councils, require redundant agricultural buildings be marketed for between 6 and 12 months to determine whether there is any latent commercial potential before they will consider an application for residential use. The Telegraph stated that this planning reform could lead to ‘rampant barn building’ by speculators, but the suggestion now is that this would only apply to buildings already in existence.
