Do I need planning permission for a barn?
Often not a full application. On a working farm of 5 hectares or more, most new farm buildings can use the quicker prior approval route. But there are common cases where you do need full planning permission.
Check my building for freeYou need full planning permission when…
- The farm is under 5 hectares and it's a new building (smaller farms can only extend existing buildings without permission).
- The building is on a parcel of land under 1 hectare.
- It's bigger than 1,500 m² (with other new farm buildings within 90 m in the last two years) or higher than 12 m.
- Any part is within 25 m of a trunk or classified road.
- It houses livestock (or stores slurry) within 400 m of someone else's house.
- It isn't for farming — a stable for private horses, a workshop for another business, a farm shop or a house.
- It's on or next to a scheduled monument, or the council has removed the rights with an Article 4 direction.
What the council will want
| Document | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Location plan | OS-based map at 1:1250 or 1:2500 with the site edged red |
| Block / site plan | The building, the red line, existing buildings, roads and distances |
| Floor plan and elevations | Size, heights, doors, cladding and colour |
| Roof plan | Roof pitch, sheets and rooflights |
| Statement | The farm, why the building is needed, its siting, design, access and drainage |
| Certificates and fee | Ownership and agricultural holdings certificates; fee by floor area |
Getting it approved
- Put it next to the existing farm buildings so it reads as part of the farmstead.
- Use a muted colour such as juniper green or goosewing grey, and non-reflective roof sheets.
- Show the size is what the farm needs — numbers of animals, bales or machines.
- Keep clean roof water separate from dirty yard water, and plan for manure and slurry.
Make the drawings yourself, free
Auto Shed Plans lets you find your farm on an aerial photo, draw the building where it will go and choose its style — general purpose barn, livestock building, hay barn, grain store, machinery store, workshop, stables or lean-to. It works out which route applies and makes the A3 drawings, the supporting statement and a list of what to send.
Start my planA guide only. Always have drawings and statements checked by a planning consultant or agricultural surveyor before you apply.