Understanding Class Q: Turning agricultural buildings into homes

The Suffolk landscape is truly diverse, with historic towns, untouched countryside, and a captivating 50-mile stretch of coastline. However, what the county is most known for is its abundance of agricultural land, and with that comes old agricultural structures. 

These structures are a defining part of the East Anglian countryside, but many of them are unused or falling into disrepair. We believe that through careful design and planning, we can bring sustainable use back to our beautiful landscape via the conversion of these beautiful old barns, stables, and grain stores.

Many already know how difficult it can be to secure planning permission in the open Suffolk countryside. Fortunately, there is a solution: Class Q, seen as an easier route to countryside planning permission. For landowners, farmers, and rural developers, Class Q offers an opportunity to convert and upgrade agricultural buildings from the past into homes showcasing true countryside character. In a world of generic new builds, Class Q provides the chance to create bespoke dwellings that speak of the land’s historic roots while providing a comfortable, modern living experience for residents.

What is Class Q?

Class Q is a Permitted Development (PD) Right in England. It falls under Schedule 2 Part 3 of the GPDO, which stands for the General Permitted Development Order. Class Q is a national policy, which says that if you have a qualifying barn, or similar structure, you have the government’s permission to convert it into a dwelling, provided it meets specific criteria.

As of 2024, the Class Q rules have been rewritten. It’s really important to the team here at Wincer Kievenaar Architects to be in the know about any changes in legislation that could affect our clients and their building goals, which is why we always strive to stay on top of developments.

The Class Q Permitted Development Right gives you the right to:

1. To stop using the building for farming and instead use it as a dwelling.
2. To do the necessary construction on the structure to make it livable, provided it remains a conversion and not a complete rebuild. 

A significant advantage of taking the Class Q route to planning permission is the speed of the process. The local authority is legally required to give you a decision within 56 days of receiving your application, meaning that, if your application is successful, you can get started quickly. It’s important to note that Class Q requires you to complete your conversion within three years, starting from the Prior Approval date from the council. This is why relying on an experienced and efficient architectural team such as ours is crucial to the successful pace of these projects.

Does your agricultural site qualify?

Since the 2024 update, your building no longer has to be in sole agricultural use. Now, the building simply needs to sit on an EAU (Established Agricultural Unit). This is far more flexible than previous rules, as it means old stables (excluding standalone commercial livery yards) or workshops that didn’t previously qualify may now do so. 

With this in mind, there are what we can call some hard ‘no’s for if your building is eligible for the Class Q route.

If your building does not meet one or more of the following prerequisites, you have no Class Q rights:

• The building must have been part of an EAU on or before 24th July 2023.
• If the building is no longer part of an EAU, it must not have been used for anything else since 24th July 2023.
• The building must not sit on land within Conservation Areas, National Landscapes (AONBs), National Parks, or World Heritage Sites. In Suffolk, this means your building cannot sit within the Suffolk Coast & Heaths (National Landscape), Dedham Vale (National Landscape), or any of our smaller Conservation Areas. The building must not be, or sit within the curtilage (the immediate land surrounding) of, a listed building. 
• The building must be converted, not rebuilt, so the existing building must be structurally sound enough for reasonably necessary works, such as adding windows, roofs, exterior walls, and doors. If a barn requires, for example, an entirely new structural frame to keep it upright, then it will not be eligible.

If your building meets the foundational eligibility rules for Class Q rights, then next comes securing approval from the local authority. To do so, your proposed home must meet the following seven criteria:

• Transport and highways impact – Will the new home create significant traffic issues or a dangerous entry/exit point?
• Noise impacts – Will the new home be situated near noise levels that could make the home unlivable?
• Contamination risks – Will the home be built on land that is unsafe?
• Flooding risks – Will the home sit in a high-risk flood zone?
• Location and siting – Is it ‘impractical or undesirable’ for the building to be a home? 
• Design and external appearance – Does the conversion look like a home while respecting the original structure, and does it meet Nationally Described Space Standards?
• Provision of adequate natural light – Does every ‘habitable room’ have at least one window?

As of the 2024 Class Q update, a new prohibition has been added that will also be reviewed by the local authority. The above conditions apply to the home you will build, whereas this prohibition applies to the structure and land that already exists. You will not get Class Q planning development rights if the site in question doesn’t include:

• Suitable access – Is there suitable existing access to a public highway from the structure? While it doesn’t have to be a paved track, it cannot be a route that can only be navigated by a tractor or a high-clearance 4×4.

Building size and scale limits

Prior to the May 2024 Class Q update, architects and planning consultants had to navigate a set of complicated calculations when it came to building size and scale. Dwellinghouses had to be categorised as small and large, and you were limited to five dwellinghouses per  EAU, with large dwellinghouses limited to 465sqm combined. This was frustrating for clients and our team alike, as it set difficult scale limits to navigate.

Here is what changed with the 2024 rewrite:

• Originally, the dwellinghouse limit was 5 per agricultural unit. It has now been doubled to allow for 10.
• Structures can now be extended at the rear by up to 4 metres in depth and height. However, this is only applicable if the extension will sit on existing hardstanding ground, such as concrete, that has been there since or before 24th July 2023.
• The combined floorspace of all dwellinghouses on the EAU can total up to 1000sqm.
• Every home on the EAU has a 150sqm cap for internal floor space each. This cap is for the total finished size, including the rear extension if you add one. This is a reduction of the previous Class Q rule, so it must be heeded by those envisioning mansion-size conversions.

Architectural design challenges and opportunities

Class Q, and its recent update, poses a wide array of opportunities and challenges in equal measure to us as architects. 

One of those opportunities is the new 0.2m protrusion bonus, allowed by paragraph Q1(j)(i). This means that walls can protrude a further 20cm to allow for the installation or replacement of windows, doors or exterior walls, or water, drainage, electricity, gas or other services. This gives us more room to upgrade building elements so the building can function as a dwellinghouse.

A challenge, though one we relish, is the need for at least one window in each habitable room. Barns in particular are very deep structures, so we must pay close attention to the floor plan to ensure that all habitable rooms can be designed with one or more windows.

Another challenge we must navigate is that all conversions must meet Nationally Described Space Standards. This requires us to design homes that are truly livable, and not just a bed in a barn. Defined as “requirements for the Gross Internal (floor) Area of new dwellings at a defined level of occupancy as well as floor areas and dimensions for key parts of the home, notably bedrooms, storage and floor to ceiling height” by the government, spaces must be large enough to be comfortable.

What is the Class Q fallback?

Known as the Class Q Fallback planning strategy, this is essentially a route to replace the farm building with something better, rather than converting. With everything we have discussed so far, this may seem impossible, but it is a successful strategy when all steps have been taken correctly.

Once you have Class Q approval, you have established the principle of a house on that land. You asked, “Can I build here?”, and the answer is a legally binding “Yes.” To the council that has approved your planning permission, the land can therefore be deemed acceptable as residential. You can then pose the question of “What if I build something better?”

If a newly proposed home is designed to honour the countryside’s character, the council may prefer to approve that building over the conversion of a perhaps less appealing barn building. The argument lies in ‘betterment’; if the new home is built with better materials, is more energy efficient, or is situated somewhere else on the site to be more visually appealing, it is often hard for the council to reject the new plan.

Put simply, once Class Q has been granted, the ‘fallback’ is a realistic alternative for the council to consider. If they reject it, you can still convert the original building. This is a no-risk strategy, as you do not lose the permission to convert the old building if your newly proposed building is rejected.

Navigating Class Q with Wincer Kievenaar

Our team of highly skilled architects bring each and every project a wealth of knowledge, nuance, and experience. We tackle every challenge with intrigue, using limitations and restrictions to drive us to create even more impactful designs for our clients. We have designed many homes to meet Class Q’s requirements, and have strong relationships with local authorities across Suffolk to ensure the best results possible when applying for planning permission. 

If you own farm buildings that you believe would make beautiful residential homes that reflect the character and history of Suffolk’s landscape, get in touch. We are here to work with you, delivering expert services and striking results thanks to our efficient and methodical process. Contact us today by calling 01473 827992, emailing [email protected], or filling in our enquiry form.