Agricultural statement - Planning validation requirements

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Planning document information

Description 

An agricultural statement looks at why an agricultural development is needed. 

You must submit an agricultural statement for any proposal for new buildings in the countryside relating to animals, crops or horticulture. 

Guidance 

The statement you submit should include an executive summary and be clear, easy to read and jargon free. 

Your agricultural statement must include details of: 

  • background of holding 
  • size 
  • businesses operated 
  • agricultural activity  
  • what the agricultural need is  
  • why there is no reasonable alternative. For example, using or adopting existing buildings where available 

Your statement for rural workers dwellings, must include: 

  • functional and financial evidence to demonstrate that there is an agricultural need for a permanent dwelling 
  • evidence there are no suitable dwellings available in the locality 

You can get help and advice from our Duty Planner on agricultural statements and other types of planning applications. 

You can get detailed feedback on your proposal by using our pre-application advice service

Personal and confidential statement 

We may publish any information you submit as part of your application. You must tell us if there is any information you do not want us to publish when you submit your application.  

If however, we believe that this information is in the public interest, we reserve the right to publish it.  

We may also decide parts of your submission are not in the public interest and may redact this information. This information may include telephone numbers, email addresses and signatures. 

When you need to submit this information

Depending on the details of your application, you may have to submit a contamination risk assessment when you are making an application for: 

You only need to submit an agricultural statement for residential new build, if your proposal is for agricultural workers dwellings. 

If your application is for removal of conditions, you must submit evidence to show there is no long term need for an agricultural workers dwelling in the locality. You must include evidence to show that you have publicised the property for sale and rent locally.  

Validation requirements

Required by

  • National requirement. You can find details of this requirement in section 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework 
  • Local plan policy - SP7
  • Local plan policy - LPP52
  • Local plan policy - LPP63
  • Local plan policy - LPP11
  • Local plan policy - LPP38
  • Local plan policy - LPP51
  • Local plan policy - LPP8

These policies can be found in the Local Plan 2013 - 2033 document