At Salmon Planning, we provide clear, straightforward planning advice to farmers and rural enterprises so you can make informed decisions about your land and buildings. Our chartered planning consultants combine technical expertise with strong local knowledge. They are here to guide you through the planning system efficiently, helping you secure permissions for agricultural buildings, diversification projects, and rural development while ensuring compliance with national and local planning policy.
Agricultural businesses face a unique set of planning challenges, from securing permission for new farm buildings to navigating the rules around rural diversification.
At Salmon Planning + Architecture, we specialise in helping farmers, landowners, and rural enterprises understand and manage the planning system with confidence. Our team combines technical planning expertise with a deep understanding of how agricultural operations function in practice, ensuring that every proposal is both policy‑compliant and commercially realistic.
Whether you are seeking consent for a new barn, upgrading existing facilities, or exploring opportunities for diversification, we provide clear, strategic advice, tailored to the needs of modern farming.
We regularly assist with applications for agricultural buildings, permitted development rights under Class Q and Part 6 ('28 day notifications'), agricultural occupancy conditions, farm shops, equestrian uses, and rural tourism projects.
Our experience spans traditional family farms through to large commercial operations, giving us the insight needed to anticipate issues early and present robust, well‑justified proposals.
Depending on the size of your farm holding you might be able to utilise permitted development rights and use a stream-lined process that is faster and less complex than making a full planning application.
Redundant agricultural and rural buildings can offer valuable opportunities for re-use, diversification or income generation. Depending on the building’s age, structure, and planning history, you may be able to convert it into a home, repurpose it for commercial or light industrial use, or adapt it for tourism, equestrian, or farm‑based enterprises.
There are a range of options open. In many cases, farm diversification can take place without full planning permission, depending on the type of activity and whether it falls within permitted development rights. Certain uses - such as on‑farm processing, storage, or small‑scale commercial activities - may be allowed via permitted development routes, or there are more intensive uses, such as holiday accommodation, cafés, or equestrian facilities, which often require a full planning application. At Salmon Planning, we assess the planning potential of your diversification ideas, identify whether permitted development rights apply, and advise on the most efficient route to secure consent so that you can expand your rural business with confidence.
5.0 rating of 17 reviews
I was very pleased with the services and advice provided by Salmon Planning. I also thought the in-house architecture / drawing service worked well - saving costs, time and generally making things far more efficient. We managed to easily secure consent for something that I thought might be fraught with issues. Nigel is also very well informed on local / Somerset matters. Highly recommend!
Excellent end-to-end experience and advice for our listed property in Brighton. Would highly recommend
Excellent all round service from Nigel and his knowledgeable and experienced team. I have recommended them to many people in the past and will continue to do so in the future as they listen, understand and work with clients to deliver achievable results.
I have found Salmon Planning to be a well-run, professional planning company who have always strived to go above and beyond to help their clients achieve their objectives.I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
Salmon Planning have secured planning permission for me for both holiday lodges and a new build pub and restaurant as well as for a new dwelling. The Salmon Planning team’s skill at handling complex planning applications and securing successful outcomes has been excellent. I would happily recommend their planning and architectural design teams.
We worked with Dan and Matt at Salmon Planning Company to secure planning permission for a double garage, workshop, and gym/yoga room. From start to finish, they were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. Their advice on both the planning and design stages was excellent, and they made the whole process smooth and stress-free. Highly recommend their services!
We had the pleasure of working with Matt and Dan from Salmon planning recently. They dealt with our planning application for a wrap around kitchen extension from idea to submission. They listened and came up with very helpful input. They are a useful mix of knowledgeable, practical and creative. They made the process straightforward, seamless and enjoyable. They dealt with all the laborious paperwork and liaised with other relevant bodies, leaving us to just contribute to the ideas and design. They are both extremely amiable and a pleasure to deal with. The process was affordable and I feel I got great value for money. Use them, you will be pleased you did.
Dan and the rest of his team at Salmon Planning were consumate professionals, dealing with every aspect of a sensitive, high profile, listed, town centre development, in a conservation area. Always available for every question I had … and I had a lot.I would, without a doubt ,call upon them for any future planning projects and would have no reservation whatsoever in recommending. Unquestionably 5 star - thank you.
I’ve been using Dan Foster and his team for over 2 years now on my property developments, the level of service, support, and professionalism of each member forever seems to impress! They have saved me many times, highlighting (potentially expensive) issues I had missed and always listen to my ideas and questions with great patience . I cannot recommend this company more highly , if you need reliable advice/designs from a team for your projects definitely give Salmon Planning a call. They will tell you everything in black and white and explain all you need to know regarding the complete planning process from start to finish.
The Salmon Planning Team assisted me with an assessment of development potential in the Conservation Area of a rural Oxfordshire village. The advice I received was extremely helpful both in its decisiveness and clarity and backed up by a very useful written report. I would be happy to recommend the company for those looking for a very experienced and professional planning-led team. I wish I had contacted a planning-led architectural firm first off rather than having expensive plans drawn up by an architect and then refused by the Local Authority! It would have been a much cheaper exercise.
Prompt, professional and client-focused. Would highly recommend Salmon Planning, thank you!
It has been a real pleasure working with Matt and the team at Salmon Planning + Architecture. Throughout the process they have been consistently professional, prompt to respond, and genuinely helpful at every stage. A great team to work with, which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
I regularly contact Nigel Salmon for information and advice. He, and his colleagues, are always friendly and rapidly provide excellent advice and services. As a Chartered Surveyor myself, I appreciate the professionalism of this firm.
I was extremely pleased by the service provided by Dan Foster at Salmon Planning Company. He provided advice in relation to securing planning approval for the conversion of a barn to a residential annexe, leading to a swift and successful outcome. His advice was timely, thorough and well reasoned and his effective communication with the planning authority led to an outcome which would not otherwise have been likely. The support provided proved to be money well spent.
