Land Use &Diversification Flashcards
What is the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan?
Sets out the pathway to a clean power system. Aims for clean power sources to meet at least 95% of the country’s generation.
What are the grid connection reforms?
Replacing the ‘first come, first served’ system with a ‘ready first, connected first’ approach.
This reform prioritizes projects that demonstrate readiness, such as securing planning permissions and technical designs.
Definition of Diversification
Farm diversification is when a farm branches out from traditional farming by adding new money-making activities. This can be an expansion of agricultural activities into new innovations or moving into non-agricultural business types.
Planning permission timeframes
Formal consultation - 21 days following submission.
Minor works - LPA has 8 weeks to make decision, major = 13 weeks. Development must start in 3 years.
Wealden local plan
still in consultation. target for new houses is 1,433 annually
Key points of NPPF
Published December 2024. Accelerating housing delivery - mandatory housing targets for LPAs and must have 5 year housing land supply. Introduction of grey belt. Increased planning fees. Emphasis on sustainability. Mandatory local plan updates. 1.5 million homes by 2030.
Solar HoTs
- Landowner, agent, solicitor etc
- Developer. agent, solicitor etc
- Fees (developer to pay costs up to 10k)
- Option site
- Option (to lease) period - 5 years with right to extend for a further 5
- Option fee - 10k
- Rights to enter during option period
- Crop loss compensation
- Assingment - subject to LL consent
- Planning - developer to cover costs
- Insurance - developer to have 5mil third party insurance
- lease term - 42 years
-solar rent - £1100 per acre - battery base rent - £1,500 per mw (25mw per acre) probs 40mw
- Rent review - in line with cpi annually
- decommissioning bond from year 15
- exclusivity - 5 years
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Hopes to receive royal assent in summer. 1.5 million homes by 2030. Accelerated planning process, nature restoration fund (developers contribute to offfset environmental impacts), grid connection reforms (first ready first connected), reformed compensation rules
Land Use Framework
To be published summer 2025, consultation period was earlier this year. Cohesive strategy for managing land to meet national priorities such as housing, food production, climate goals and nature recovery.
What are the requirements for Class R?
The subject building needs to have been solely in agricultural use for the last 10 years or more (or when it was last in use).
(It does have a date stamp 3rd July 2012, but as we now more than 10 beyond that date a rolling minimum 10 year period is now in effect)
The total cumulative floor area of the existing building(s) – within the planning unit – which have changed under Class R rights, must not exceed 1,000m². (increased space from 21st May 2024, was previously 500m² )
The building(s) must not be:
a listed building (or within the curtilage of a listed building)
a scheduled monument (or part thereof)
form part of a (or be located within) a safety hazard area
form part of an explosives storage area
Class Q
Up to 10 dwellings, max 150 m² each, total 1,000 m².
Applies to agricultural buildings in use by 24 July 2023.
Must have existing highway access.
Allows limited external works (e.g., windows, doors, roof, walls).
Single-storey rear extensions up to 4 m allowed.
Prior approval needed (e.g., transport, design, light).
Not allowed in protected areas or on listed buildings.
Must complete within 3 years of approval.
