Policy information sourced from the Chelmsford Local Plan 2013-2036 PDF.

DM12: Rural and Agricultura/Forestry Workers’ Dwellings.

Planning permission will only be granted for a new dwelling or caravan in the Green Belt where there is a proven essential need for the purposes of agriculture or forestry, and very special circumstances which clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and any other harm.

Planning permission will be granted for a new dwelling or caravan in the Green Wedge or Rural Area where there is a proven essential need for the purposes of agriculture or forestry, horse breeding and training, livery or other land-based rural business.

A) Temporary Accommodation

For applications for temporary accommodation, the following criteria must be met:

  • it can be demonstrated that the business can sustain the full-time worker directly employed by the business at minimum wage; and
  • it can be demonstrated that there is a functional need for the proposed accommodation which cannot be met by existing suitable accommodation available in the area, or by rearranging duties and responsibilities between workers; and
  • the need cannot be met by re-using, extending or adapting an existing building on the holding; and
  • the proposed accommodation is located within or adjacent to the existing farm complex of buildings or other dwellings on the holding; and
  • the size of the accommodation relates to the needs of the rural worker to be employed under his or her current situation.

B) Permanent Accommodation

In addition to compliance with the above Part A) permanent accommodation will only be permitted where the unit and the agricultural/rural business have been established for at least 3 years, it can be demonstrated that the business has been profitable for at least one of them, is currently financially sound and has a clear prospect of remaining so.

In all cases (temporary and permanent accommodation) conditions will be attached to any permission removing permitted development rights and limiting the occupancy to that required for the business concerned.

C) Removal of Occupancy conditions on existing dwellings

Planning permission will be granted for the removal of a restrictive agricultural/rural worker occupancy condition on a dwelling only where:

  • comprehensive evidence has been submitted to show that the property, including all of its land and buildings that form part of the holding, has been marketed for sale or rent for a minimum period of 12 months at a market price to reflect the occupancy condition, and confirmation of a lack of interest; and
  • it is evidenced that there is no long-term need for an agricultural/rural workers dwelling in the locality; and
  • the dwelling was not constructed or converted for the purposes of an agricultural or rural worker less than 10 years prior to the submission of the application to remove the occupancy condition.

For more information, please visit Chelmsford’s Local Plan here.