'˜Tenants vulnerable to relaxed planning rules'

George Dunn, chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA), believes tenants face problems if their landlords decide it is more straightforward for them to obtain a change of use for agricultural buildings, either through easier to gain planning consents or use of permitted development rights.

Under tenancy contracts, landlords can usually pursue ‘Notices to Quit’ against tenant farmers on buildings which have been granted a change of use. The use of permitted development rights to create residential units also stops any further development of those sites for farming purposes.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs is currently working with the Department for Communities and Local Government to review current planning constraints on rural businesses and the existing threshold for agricultural buildings to be converted to residential use.

Mr Dunn said: “The TFA supports proposals which encourage increased economic activity in rural areas and the removal of unnecessary, regulatory burdens on businesses. However, the TFA does not see that these objectives are achieved by replacing one economic use with another.”

He said that while the Government does disallow landlords from using permitted development rights to change agricultural buildings into residential units without the consent of an existing tenant farmer, this does not apply for a change to commercial use.