Rother District Council

Planning permission is always required for dwellings. In the open countryside it is normally granted only in exceptional circumstances, for example if it is essential for a farm worker to live at or in the immediate vicinity of the workplace in order to attend to livestock. If permission is granted, it is usual conditional on the dwelling being kept available to meet that agricultural need. Occupancy will be restricted to people currently or last involved in agriculture.

When granting planning permission for a new agricultural dwelling subject to an occupancy condition, local planning authorities may also attached similar conditions to existing dwellings on the holding which are under the control of the applicant, do not have occupancy conditions and need at the time of the application to be used in connection with the farm. These conditions can be lifted if circumstances change. Planning authorities need to be certain that there is no longer any agricultural need in the locality.

• Print This Page