§ Mr. Strangasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what planning restrictions on the use or development of agricultural dwelling houses would be removed by the policy contained in his draft circular "Development Involving Agricultural Land"; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TraceyPolicy on the development and use of agricultural dwelling houses in England and Wales is set out in the annex to DOE circular 24/73 (Welsh Office 49/73). Paragraph 4 states that, unless the applicant shows that there are valid reasons why a dwelling house should be erected on the farm rather than in a nearby village, the normal planning considerations will apply and the need for agricultural dwellings should be met as far as possible by building in an accessible village, hamlet or existing group of dwellings. It may sometimes be appropriate to impose conditions when planning permission is granted for such dwellings restricting occupancy to persons employed in agriculture in the locality. Such conditions, as in the case of all planning conditions, should only be imposed where they are necessary, relevant to planning and to the development to be permitted, enforceable, precise and reasonable in all other respects.
The draft circular on development involving agricultural land does not propose any change in this policy although it urges that applications for removal of such agricultural conditions should be considered on the bases of realistic assessments of the continuing need for them.