Policy information sourced from Thurrock Core Strategy and Policies for Management of Development

PMD6 – DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREEN BELT

The Council will maintain, protect and enhance the open character of the Green Belt in Thurrock in accordance with the provisions of the NPPF. The Council will plan positively to enhance the beneficial use of the Green Belt by looking for opportunities to provide access to the countryside, provide opportunities for outdoor sport and recreation, to retain and enhance landscapes, visual amenity and biodiversity, and to improve damaged and derelict land.

Planning permission will only be granted for new development in the Green Belt provided it meets as appropriate the requirements of the NPPF, other policies in this DPD, and the following:

Extensions

The extension of a building must not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building. In the case of residential extensions this means no larger than two reasonably sized rooms or any equivalent amount.

The extension of the curtilage of a residential property which involves an incursion into the Green Belt will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that very special circumstances apply.

Replacement Buildings

Replacement dwellings in the Green Belt will only be permitted provided that the replacement dwelling is not materially larger than the original building.

The replacement of other buildings shall only be for the same use, and the replacement building shall not be materially larger than the one it replaces.

Established Residential Frontages

Where an established frontage of residential development exists in the Green Belt, planning permission will be granted, subject to compliance with all other relevant policies in this plan, for new dwellings on genuine infill plots and the replacement of existing dwellings and the extension of existing dwellings located on the existing frontage only. Replacement dwellings and extensions to existing dwellings will not be subject to the size limitations contained in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this policy. Established frontages of residential development in the Green Belt are identified on the Interim Adopted Proposals Map.

Re-Use and Adaptation of Buildings

The re-use and adaptation of buildings for residential, employment, leisure or community use will be permitted, provided the following criteria are met:

  • The building is of a permanent and substantial construction and does not require significant rebuilding before it can be put to its proposed use;
  • The building should not detract from the character and appearance of the locality after implementation of the new use. The bulk, form and general design of the building must reflect its surroundings;
  • The proposed use can be fully contained in the building and would not require extensive new buildings or inappropriate use of open areas;
  • The use does not have a materially greater impact than the present use on the openness of the Green Belt or amenities of the area by reason of noise, visual intrusion, traffic generation, fumes, dust or other forms of nuisance.

Re-use or adaptation of existing farm buildings for non-agricultural purposes will not automatically result in permission being granted to erect additional buildings to accommodate the displaced agricultural uses. Where permission for re-use or adaptation is granted, the Council will consider attaching a condition that removes permitted development rights for new farm buildings on the agricultural holding. The following factors will be considered when applying such a condition:

  • The openness and landscape value of the agricultural holding and surrounding area; and
  • The grouping and/or dispersion of existing buildings on the agricultural holding and in the vicinity;
  • The size of the holding and the ability to disperse new agricultural buildings widely within it.

Equestrian Facilities

  • The Council will expect stables to be located in existing buildings wherever possible. New buildings will only be permitted where there are no suitable existing buildings.
  • Stables will only be permitted where they are requisite to the use of the land for grazing. The Council will only permit one stable per 0.6 hectares (1.5 acres)4 of grazing land and the stable must be on, or immediately adjacent to, the grazing land.
  • Stud farms, riding schools and other large-scale commercial equestrian facilities will only be permitted in the Green Belt where they use existing buildings.
  • Permission will not be given for additional housing in association with stables.

Infilling and partial or complete redevelopment of a previously developed site comprising more than a single building, and located outside of Established Residential Frontages

Infilling should:

  • have no greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt and the purpose of including land within it than the existing development
  • not exceed the height of the existing buildings discounting any abnormally tall existing structures; and
  • not lead to a major increase in the developed proportion of the site.

Redevelopment should:

  • have no greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt and the purpose of including land within it than the existing development taking into account any proposed enclosure of open land
  • contribute to the achievement of the objectives for the use of land in the Green Belt
  • not exceed the height of the existing buildings discounting any abnormally tall existing structures
  • not occupy a larger area of the site than the existing buildings unless this would achieve a reduction in height which would benefit visual amenity, and
  • satisfactorily integrate with its landscape surroundings and, where it may be appropriate in order to meet that objective, buildings should be sited closer to existing buildings.

The relevant area for the purposes of II iv above is the aggregate ground floor area of the existing buildings excluding temporary buildings. Any buildings demolished prior to the grant of permission for redevelopment will not count as developed area.

The Council will expect the site to be considered as a whole, whether or not all buildings are to be redeveloped, and the floor area limitation at II iv above relates to the redevelopment of the entire site. Any proposals for partial redevelopment should be put forward in the context of comprehensive, longterm plans for the site as a whole.

In granting permission the Council may impose conditions to ensure that buildings which are not to be permanently retained are demolished as new buildings are erected in order to keep the total development area under control so that there is no adverse effect on openness.

Agricultural and Forestry dwellings

Permanent agricultural dwellings

New permanent dwellings will be allowed on well-established agricultural units to support existing agricultural activities providing all of the following are met:

  • there is a clearly established existing functional need for one or more workers to be readily available at most times on the unit.
  • the need relates to a full time worker, or one who is primarily employed in agriculture and does not relate to a part-time requirement.
  • the unit and activity concerned:- have been established for at least three years; have been profitable for at least one of them; are currently financially sound; and have a clear prospect of remaining so.
  • the functional need could not be fulfilled by another existing dwelling on the unit, or any other existing accommodation in the area which is suitable and available for occupation by the worker(s) concerned.
  • the proposed dwelling is of a size commensurate with the established functional requirement.
  • the proposed dwelling would be sited so as to meet the identified functional need, and be well-related to existing farm buildings or other dwellings, and;
  • the relevant requirements of the Council’s policies for management of development are met.

In relation to (i) above such need will be considered to exist if workers are needed to be on hand day and night in case animals or agricultural processes require essential care at short notice, or to deal quickly with emergencies that could otherwise cause serious loss of crops or products and pose a substantial threat to the financial soundness of the unit.

The protection of livestock from theft or injury by intruders may contribute on animal welfare grounds to the need for a new dwelling but will not by itself be considered sufficient to justify one. Requirements arising from food processing, as opposed to agriculture, will not be considered justification for a new dwelling.

If any dwelling(s) or building(s) suitable for conversion to dwellings have recently been sold separately from the farmland concerned this will be considered as evidence of a lack of agricultural need.

In relation to (v) above dwellings that are unusually large in relation to the agricultural needs of the unit, or unusually expensive to construct in relation to the income the unit can sustain in the long term will not be permitted. The relevant consideration will be the requirements of the enterprise rather than those of the owner or occupier. The planning permission for a dwelling will be made subject to a condition removing ‘permitted development’ rights for enlargement in order to ensure that a dwelling once built does not exceed a size commensurate with the established functional requirement.

Temporary agricultural dwellings

If a new dwelling is essential to support a new farming activity, whether on a newly created agricultural unit or an established one, the Council will only permit this to be provided by way of a caravan or other temporary removable accommodation.

Temporary accommodation will only be permitted if all of the following are met:

  • there is a functional need for the dwelling which could not be fulfilled by another existing dwelling on the unit, or any other existing accommodation in the area which is suitable and available for occupation by the worker(s) concerned;
  • there is clear evidence of a firm intention and ability to develop the enterprise and it has been planned on a sound financial basis;
  • the relevant requirements of the Council’s policies for the management of development are met.

Such accommodation will only be permitted to be present on the agricultural unit for a maximum of four years, unless by this time permission has been granted for a permanent agricultural dwelling and that dwelling is the subject of sustained construction activity. In such case the Council will grant further time limited permissions for the temporary accommodation until the permanent dwelling is habitable or the Council considers the dwelling is no longer the subject of sustained construction activity.

Forestry dwellings

The Council does not envisage that requirements for forestry worker accommodation will arise, but should they do so this policy will equally apply.

Occupancy restrictions

In order to ensure that any permitted agricultural dwelling is kept available for meeting the need for such accommodation for so long as it exists planning permission for such accommodation will be subject to an appropriate occupancy condition limiting occupation to a person solely or mainly working, or last working, in the locality in agriculture or forestry, or a widow or widower of such a person, and to any resident dependents. The Council will not agree to the removal of such conditions unless it has been satisfactorily demonstrated that there is no longer any need on the particular holding and in the area for a dwelling for someone solely, mainly or last working in agriculture. Those seeking removal will be expected to show that for the period of two years preceding the planning application for removal of the condition, sustained and appropriately targeted efforts to sell or rent the premises on terms reflecting the encumbrance of the agricultural occupancy condition have been made with no success. The Council will not consider this requirement to have been met unless the property has been marketed for the duration of this period at a discount of at least 35% against open market price. The Council will not agree to the removal of occupancy conditions from temporary accommodation.

Definitions and Limitations

In considering whether a proposal complies with the above:

  • account will only be taken of lawful existing buildings,
  • for the purposes of paragraph 1 and 2 ‘original building’ means in relation to a building existing on 1st July 1948, as existing on that date, and in relation to a building built on or after 1st July 1948, as so built. Any building which is itself a replacement building will not be considered to be an original building for the purposes of this policy and the acceptability or otherwise of any proposals for further extension or replacement will be judged by reference to the ‘original building’ which preceded it. If the exact size of this previous building is unknown the redevelopment of a replacement dwelling will be limited to a like for like replacement,
  • for the purposes of paragraph 6 a ‘previously developed site’ is one which is, or was, occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land and any associated fixed surface infrastructure, but excludes the site of agricultural or forestry buildings, land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill purposes where provision for restoration has been made through development control procedures, and land that was previously developed but where the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape in the process of time.

Key Diagrams and Maps

Established Residential Frontages are identified on the Interim Adopted Proposals Map.

For more information please see the Core Strategy and Policies for Management of Development