- Decision
- dismissed, 1 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: N Unwin
- Authority
- Wyre (North West)
- Appeal reference
- 6006824
- Application reference
- 25/00882/AGR
- Procedure
- written representations
- Development
- Part 6 Class A prior approval for a hay and machinery barn and a 7 m x 15 m polytunnel on a 5.2 ha holding
- Site context
- open countryside
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- No Framework version cited
- Determinative policies
- GPDO Sch2 Pt6 Class A A.2
- Main issues
- commencement; agricultural need
Summary
An agricultural building and polytunnel were accepted as reasonably necessary on a new holding, but the appeal failed because the polytunnel frame had already been partly put up (DL 24).
What made the difference
Development had begun before the prior-approval process, which takes it outside Part 6 Class A.
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPDO Sch2 Pt6 Class A A.2 | fail | polytunnel frame already partly erected, so development had begun before the determination (DL 10-14) | |
| GPDO Sch2 Pt6 Class A | pass | agricultural trade or business in its early years; buildings reasonably necessary (DL 15-23) |
Key facts
- Frame on skids was still a building given its size and permanence (DL 11-12)
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.