Securing a New Use for Equestrian Buildings in the Green Belt

The Rural Planning Practice has secured planning permission for the conversion of four equestrian and agricultural barns into storage, workshop and office facilities for a long-established supplier of props to the film, television and theatre industries.

Having outgrown its existing premises, the business needed a site that could accommodate its specialist operations. The site offered substantial existing buildings and an associated dwelling, thus providing an opportunity to adapt a rural property for a new employment use whilst providing the additional site security of having the business owners living on site.

The site’s location within the Green Belt required a clear case demonstrating that the change of use and associated alterations would be acceptable. Other issues to be resolved included areas of the site and its surroundings being in Flood Zone 2 and the access road being shared with a public right of way.

Flood risk, highway access, ecology and the relationship between the business premises and the existing dwelling also needed careful consideration.

Following receipt of pre-application advice, we prepared a Planning, Design and Access Statement explaining the business’s requirements and how the existing buildings could accommodate the proposed use with limited external alterations.

The planning case demonstrated that the buildings could be adapted, including the introduction of first floor levels, while retaining their established footprints and respecting the rural setting. The Council accepted that the proposals would not constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

The dwelling was included within the application boundary, with an occupancy condition linking it to the business.

Technical evidence also addressed the site’s constraints. Transport assessments demonstrated that the proposed operation would generate materially fewer vehicle movements than the lawful equestrian use. Revised access arrangements showed that larger vehicles could safely pass at the entrance.

Planning permission was granted in September 2026, enabling the four barns to be adapted for this specialist business and securing an acceptable relationship with the dwelling.The approved scheme is anticipated to support approximately 15 jobs and provides a productive future for the existing buildings.

The case demonstrates how a carefully justified change of use, supported by technical evidence and a clear understanding of the site’s constraints, can secure a new commercial role for rural buildings within the Green Belt.