§ Lord Chappleasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the operation of an agricultural market is an acceptable agricultural activity to be carried out on green belt land.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State., Department of the Environment (The Earl of Arran)An agricultural market does not fall within the definition of "agriculture" in Section 336(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Planning permission would therefore be required for such a development, and the local planning authority will need to take into account all material planning considerations in reaching a decision. One such consideration is whether the particular proposal could be regarded as a "use appropriate to a rural area". If so, the normal presumption against inappropriate development in the green belt would not apply.