At Laurence Associates we regularly progress class Q planning applications for our clients. Whilst we work across the country the majority of our class Q projects are on our home turf here in Cornwall. We have therefore developed detailed knowledge and experience of what is likely to be successful at the local level and can advise our clients accordingly.

With planning, architecture and landscape experts all in house at our head office in Truro, and our sister company, Form Consulting Engineers under the same roof, we are proud to be able to deliver a holistic service, taking your project through from inception to completion.

What is class Q?

Class Q is a type of planning permission that allows for the conversion of existing agricultural buildings into residential dwellings. It facilitates the re-use of unused agricultural buildings – which is a sustainable way of boosting the housing supply without new construction.

Achieving a class Q consent can also be a useful way of securing an initial fallback position to form part of a longer term strategy for development.

What’s new with class Q?

New rules have recently been fully implemented and it’s now possible to create 10 dwellings. The maximum cumulative floorspace is 1,000sqm and the maximum floor space for each house is now capped at 150 sqm.

Another key change is that it’s now possible to increase the external dimensions of the building by up to 20cm to better accommodate the conversion. Extensions of up to 4sqm beyond the rear of the existing building are also allowed for the first time.

Existing suitable access to a public highway also has to be demonstrated as part of the application process.

All of the changes have specific criteria to be met.

How can we help you?

We’re happy to carry out a no-obligation site visit to review your building/s and advise on the scope for their conversion and extension under Class Q.

We will be honest with you and if we assess that class Q is not the most suitable approach, we will use our extensive experience to guide you towards a planning strategy that we consider is more likely to help you to achieve your goals. Click here to contact us today.