Category: Rural
The Challenge
The Hidderley family have been farming at Elford Lowe Farm since 1919. They have always been proactive decision makers, having moved from a successful dairy unit with 400 cows to more than 400 acres of potatoes, and now, 1,000+ acres of combinable crops.
In response to the varying challenges of agriculture, and when the dairy unit closed, the family identified a need to further diversify activity at Elford Lowe Farm through the change of use of its buildings at Elford Lowe Farm to a range of employment uses.
The Solution
CT Planning has prepared planning applications and secured planning permission for the change of use of the buildings at Elford Lowe Farm to employment uses within Use Classes E. The planning applications presented some challenges raised by the access to the site and the fact that Elford Lowe Farm is a listed building, and there is a Scheduled Ancient Monument nearby.
CT Planning was successful in addressing these issues and negotiating the planning permission. The buildings comprise 4,150 square metres and are now fully let; many are occupied by local businesses.
Elford Lowe Farm is just one of the many rural diversification projects for which CT Planning has enhanced the value of land and buildings by securing planning permission for changes of use. Others include residential conversions, wedding venues, tourist accommodation, and renewable energy.
