Policy information sourced from the Woking Development Management Policies Development Plan Document (DPD).

DM14: Rural workers’ dwellings

The Core Strategy seeks to concentrate most residential development in the main urban centres of the Borough. Proposals for a dwelling for the accommodation by a person engaged in an agricultural operation or any other forms of activity that can only be reasonably located outside the urban area, including within the Green Belt, will be permitted where the applicant is able to demonstrate an essential, clearly established functional need for a new dwelling to house a full-time worker, and that this need cannot be fulfilled by another existing dwelling on the farm or other holdings or any other suitable available accommodation in the vicinity of the area.

Temporary Dwellings

For temporary dwellings an applicant must demonstrate:

  1. the new dwelling is essential to support a new agricultural activity, whether on an already established or newly-created farm holding;
  2. their intention to develop the enterprise based on a sound financial plan; and
  3. the proposal satisfies all other relevant Development Plan policies.

A temporary rural worker’s dwelling should take the form of a caravan or mobile home and should be permitted for no more than three years. Permission will not be granted for the erection of a temporary rural worker’s dwelling in a location where a permanent dwelling would not be permitted.

Permanent Dwellings

For permanent dwellings an applicant must demonstrate:

  1. the holding has been established for a minimum of three years (at least one of which has been profitable) and is demonstrably financially sound, both at present and for the prospective future;
  2. the proposed dwelling is of a size and type appropriate to the needs of the holding; and
  3. the proposal satisfies all other relevant Development Plan policies.

The Council will impose occupancy conditions on all new workers’ dwellings and conditions which restrict permitted development rights. Where an additional dwelling on a farm holding is permitted, an occupancy condition may, in appropriate circumstances, be applied to the original farmhouse. Further extensions to rural workers’ dwellings will be considered on their functional need.

The Council may require an agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 preventing the sale of the dwelling or parts of the land separately from the land forming the holding.

Removal of Conditions

Applications for the removal of occupancy conditions will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated that:

  1. there is no longer a need for accommodation on the holding/business or in the local area; and
  2. the property has been marketed for a reasonable period (at least 1 year) and at a price which reflects the existence of the occupancy condition; and
  3. the dwelling has been made available to a minimum of three Registered Social Landlords operating locally on terms which would prioritise its occupation by a rural worker as an affordable dwelling – and that option has been refused.

For more information please see the Development Plan Document