Planning

Durrants are well placed to carry out Estate Management for a range of clients, whether it is a single field that you own or a complex property with a range of commercial, agricultural and residential tenants.

Class Q Conversion of Agricultural Buildings

Converting a barn into a residential dwelling is less complicated than it used to be due to changes in planning law and new permitted development rights. However, there are still a number of criteria that need to be met, as well as complying with general planning regulations. Durrants can take you through this entire process step-by-step and have a highly successful track record for obtaining approval for Class Q consent for the change of use to residential dwellings.

Strategic Residential and Commercial Development

Strategic development carries potentially great rewards for our clients but also considerable risks. It is all about putting the best team together for your needs, taking maximum advantage of the opportunity whilst limiting your risks and cost. Our Agricultural and Building Consultancy teams at Durrants work with landowners who are considering their site’s potential for large scale strategic mixed residential and commercial developments.

Planning at a strategic level requires specialist input in a number of areas which our experienced teams will co-ordinate. We advise on the mechanism either to help an owner to promote their own land or to harness promoters or developers through the use of option agreements, promotion agreements or conditional contracts to promote the land either in isolation or jointly with other owners within a target area. We have the expertise and the market knowledge to project manage the process of land promotion and with our breadth of experience we have a wide range of preferred planning advisors and environmental consultants with specialism in this field who working alongside our in-house team.

We will provide advice and assist with the following; identification of development potential, strategic planning and development advice, project management and planning promotion, development/promotion partner selection, landowner collaboration and equalisation agreements, options and other forms of promotional agreements and land sales once consent has been obtained.

Promotion and Option Agreements

Durrants has extensive experience in advising landowners directly on the promotion of development sites. We can also identify suitable development partners who would bear the costs of promotion and work in collaboration with us and our landowning clients. This can be achieved through options, promotion agreements or joint ventures, depending on the particular requirements of the client and the project. Successfully promoting development sites relies on good timing, strong project management and an expert team of professional advisers. Our Agricultural and Planning and Building Consultancy teams have a wealth of experience in promoting land for development and in successfully securing planning permissions.

Permission for Agricultural Buildings and Permitted Development

Not all development requires planning permission and our team has expert knowledge on the latest permitted development legislation and case law that could help you carry out structural changes, such as a variety of alterations, extensions, development of outbuildings or change of use of buildings to a variety of uses including residential, office, leisure and retail. However, if you are looking to construct a larger agricultural building, which is outside the permitted development criteria, we have vast experience in obtaining full planning consent for a variety of agricultural buildings to meet the needs of a modern farming business. Recent projects include new livestock and grain stores, machinery store sheds and processing and packaging warehouses.

Agricultural Occupancy Conditions

Our experienced team can assist with obtaining planning consent to build new agricultural tied houses and, more often in recent years, assisting clients with having the agricultural ties removed.

For more on our agricultural services, contact our team on 01379 646602 or email agricultural@durrants.com.