The new Class Q regulations came into effect as of May 21, 2024. Overall, these changes allow more freedom for your barn conversion and the potential to build more dwellings than before.
If you applied for Class Q before May 21, 2024, read our previous blog on the old Class Q regulations.
Class Q changes – a summary
Thanks to the updated Class Q regulations, the rules around converting agricultural buildings into homes have become much more generous. You can now turn your unused farm buildings into as many as 10 homes, twice what was allowed before. There’s also more space to work with. The total area you can convert has gone up from 865 to 1,000 square meters. Each individual home can’t be larger than 150 square meters.
Buildings don’t have to be strictly agricultural anymore, they can also just be located on agricultural land. Instead of only converting barns and other agricultural buildings, we can now make homes out of old storage units or mixed use buildings.
(Note: this excludes buildings that are on land only used for equestrian or commercial purposes)
Key changes to Class Q
The government has made several other important changes too. You can now add a single-story extension at the back of the building up to 4 meters. However, your extension must sit on a hard surface that was there before July 24, 2023 (or has been there for at least 10 years if it’s newer than that). Your barn will need proper access to a public road for vehicles – that’s non-negotiable.
If the barn existed before July 24, 2023, and was not built under permitted development rights, you’re allowed to apply for Class Q. But if the barn itself was made using permitted development rights, you’ll need to wait until it’s been standing for 10 years before you can convert it.
There’s also some flexibility around barns that were part of farms as of July 24, 2023. Even if they’re no longer being used for farming, or have been sitting empty for 10 years, you can still use Class Q to convert them. Just remember that the building needs to have been used purely for farming for at least the last 10 years. This is now counted on a rolling basis.
One particularly helpful change is that you can now add new external walls to your conversion. This means you can work with barns that might be open on one or more sides. But here’s the catch – the barn’s structure still needs to be suitable for turning into a home. If you’d need to completely rebuild it just to put up an external wall, that would count as a renovation rather than a conversion. Therefore, it won’t come under Class Q.
There are also some situations in which Class Q does not apply.
Class Q Limitations
The new Class Q development rights have made it much easier to turn old and disused buildings into homes. However, there are several important things to keep in mind before you start planning your conversion.
First, remember that the limits on how many homes you can create apply to your entire agricultural property, regardless of how the land might be divided up or titled. When it comes to the actual conversion work, you can only make changes that are genuinely necessary. Things like putting in walls and windows, fixing the roof, updating materials, sorting out drainage and utilities, or carefully removing parts of the structure that need to go.
Your barn needs to be in good structural condition from the start. It has to be solid enough that it could realistically become a home. Every room where people will be living needs plenty of natural light too. If you’re thinking about adding any mezzanine floors, keep in mind these will count towards your total allowed conversion space, just like the ground floor does.
There are also some places where these Class Q rights don’t apply at all. You won’t be able to use them if your building is listed, sits in a conservation area, or is located in special protected zones like National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or World Heritage Sites. The same goes for Sites of Special Scientific Interest, areas with safety hazards, military explosive storage zones, or places with scheduled monuments.
Class Q barn conversions with Astrum Construction
The new Class Q regulations have opened up exciting possibilities for barn conversions. If you’re considering turning your agricultural building into a home, our team of conversion specialists can help guide you through these updated regulations. We’ll assess your building’s potential, handle the prior approval process, and help you make the most of these new opportunities.
Want to learn more? Contact us through phone or email. We offer free initial consultations to discuss your project and explore what’s possible under the new Class Q rights.