Rural Diversification

4.61 Agriculture (as defined in Section 336 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act (1990)) is vitally important in shaping and maintaining the fabric of the rural landscape. However, agriculture and its associated employment base have declined over the years and it seems likely that this will continue. This decline and its consequent effects is often exacerbated and most severely felt in rural areas where alternative local employment opportunities are very limited. In PPS7 ’Sustainable Development in Rural Areas' (2004) the Government emphasises the need to establish and support a thriving rural economy. It considers that this can be achieved in part through the diversification of farming activities in order to provide wide and varied employment opportunities for rural residents, whilst at the same time maintaining farming as the backbone of rural job opportunities.

4.62 The objective of rural diversification policy is to sustain and diversify the rural economy by achieving the re-use and adaptation of existing buildings for commercial, industrial, tourism, sport or recreational use whilst achieving appropriate protection of the countryside. Appropriate development of new rural buildings can assist in the diversification of the rural economy, but given the restrictions of the Green Belt in the east of the district and the fact that the Area Around Todmorden to the west of the district is all designated as Special Landscape Area, new development will be strictly controlled in the open countryside away from existing settlements. Proposals for new build development outside the urban areas are dealt with by Policy NE 1 ‘Development within the Green Belt’, Policy NE 7 ‘Development Within The Named Village Envelopes in the Green Belt’ and Policy NE 8 ‘Appropriate Development for the Area Around Todmorden’ of the Plan. Rural diversification by conversion can reduce demands for new building in the countryside, avoid leaving existing buildings vacant and prone to vandalism and dereliction and provide jobs and is supported in Policy E2 of RSS. The approach of the UDP is to seek to encourage the re-use of existing rural properties for business and commercial uses. Proposals for other uses should be accompanied by supporting information to demonstrate the non-viability of commercial or business uses. Information could include evidence that  premises are not economically or physically capable of supporting commercial or business uses and/or evidence of marketing that has resulted in no demand to use the premises for business or commercial uses.

4.63 There are principally three different forms of rural diversification:-

  1. agriculture-based diversification (e.g. alternative crops, energy crops, woodland management, livestock or management regimes);
  2. farm-based diversification (e.g. farm shops, farm-based food processing and packing); and
  3. non-agricultural use of farmland or buildings (e.g. equestrian businesses, sporting activities, nature trails, craft workshops, recreational activities, holiday accommodation, homeworking/teleworking utilising information technology and small-scale industries).

4.64 Some forms of diversification may have a low impact on the environment. Others, involving increased traffic or public use, particularly those linked to tourism or commercial activity, might have a much more significant impact. Notwithstanding the accepted need for rural diversification, uses which detrimentally alter the landscape or its biodiversity and/or which are otherwise contrary to the policies of this plan, will be resisted (see Section 11).

4.65 The future viability of the rural community depends largely on its ability to diversify into non-agricultural activities. The need for rural diversification and the conversion of buildings for this use is outlined in Policy E 13 ‘Encouraging Rural Diversification’. In order to correctly interpret the following policies a ‘rural’ building is defined as any building in the Green Belt or within the Area Around Todmorden. For the avoidance of doubt, tourist/visitor accommodation is in principle acceptable and is one of the types of activities encouraged for the re-use and adaptation of rural buildings. Proposals for the conversion of rural buildings to commercial and business uses will be considered against the following Policies:-

Policy E 13

Encouraging Rural Diversification

The re-use and adaptation of rural buildings for commercial or business uses is encouraged. Development proposals for other uses should be accompanied by evidence to demonstrate the non-viability of commercial or business uses.

Policy E 14

The Conversion and Adaptation of Rural Buildings for Commercial or Business Uses.

Development proposals for the re-use and adaptation of rural buildings for commercial or business use will be permitted provided that:-
  1. it is accessible by good quality public transport as existing or with enhancement and offers pedestrian and cycle access, or alternatively, it is readily accessible (currently or potentially) to a local residential workforce;
  2. the site has good road access adequate for the traffic likely to be generated;
  3. the proposed use does not include requirements for open storage, parking, or other associated development that would unacceptably detract from the character of the area (unless such problems can be overcome by appropriate screening, boundary treatments and landscaping);
  4. the proposal does not cause any unacceptable environmental, amenity, safety, highway or other problems; and
  5. the proposal is consistent with other UDP policies including policies controlling development within the Green Belt, Area Around Todmorden and Special Landscape Area.

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