Vicki Clover

In the ten years or so following the introduction of the Class Q Permitted Development Prior Approval route for converting redundant farm buildings into dwellings, more than 21,500 Class Q applications have been submitted. The historic prior approval rate is 61%. In the case of a Class R agricultural-to-commercial change of use, there are no published statistics.

Farming has never stood still. There simply isn’t time for that. From mechanisation to drones and Precision Agriculture, the sector has a long history of embracing innovation to improve efficiency and productivity. In many respects, the rise of AI is simply the next chapter in that story. Of course, as anyone who’s watched GPS guidance lose its marbles under a line of mature trees will know, even the cleverest technology has its off days. AI is no different.

If you own or invest in a multi-block residential development, a recent Court of Appeal decision should be on your radar. In SGL 1 Ltd v FSV Freeholders Ltd [2026] EWCA Civ 267, handed down on 13 March 2026, the Court of Appeal fundamentally changed how the Courts will determine what is a “building” for the purpose of the right of first refusal under Part I of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987.