Rishi Sunak has delivered on a promise to farmers to slash red tape which allows them to convert barns into farm shops without planning permission.
People will be able to convert unused buildings into new homes and shops from today following new planning laws which have now come into effect.
Landowners in England will no longer need to spend time and money applying for planning permission.
The overhaul followed Jeremy Clarkson’s highly publicised planning struggles to turn a profit on his Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton.
Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “I am extremely pleased to support our farmers and provide them the freedom to decide the best uses for buildings on their land, without needless bureaucracy holding them back.
“We are listening to farmers and putting them at the heart of future development of our rural areas.
“Helping farmers secure their businesses and get on with the important job of producing food is our top priority.”
The Prime Minister vowed to end planning red tape for farmers looking to convert barns into farm shops following Jeremy Clarkson’s row with West Oxfordshire District Council.
The TV presenter had been in a back-and-forth battle with the local authority over extending parking facilities at the site, featured on the Amazon series Clarkson’s Farm.
Mr Clarkson dropped a bid for a restaurant on his farm following a planning row.
The authority rejected planning permission for the restaurant, based in and around one of the farm’s barns.
Lee Rowley, minister for housing, planning and building safety, said: “Farmers are the lifeblood of communities, and these changes give them the freedom to grow their businesses, and plan for their futures.
“This is all part of our long-term plan for housing to deliver more homes for rural communities and reform the planning system, removing unnecessary barriers to development.”
The changes will double the amount of floorspace that can change from agricultural to “flexible commercial use” from 500 square metres to 1,000 square metres.
There has also been an increase in the size of new buildings or extensions that can be built on farms over 5 hectares from 1,000 square metres to 1,500 square metres.
