Planning Policy Wales - Brecon Beacons National Park

7.6.2 Where applications are considered for business development in primarily
residential areas particular care should be taken to safeguard residential amenity, especially
where there is potential for noise and/or traffic disturbance. Planning conditions may be used to
control, for example, times of operation in order to protect amenity.
7.6.3 Occupancy conditions, defining the categories of people or firms who may occupy
the premises, should be imposed only when this can be justified on planning grounds and where
the alternative would normally be to refuse permission. In most cases it would not be appropriate
to impose such conditions on buildings of less than 300 square metres of office floorspace or
500 square metres of industrial floorspace. Occupancy conditions may not be imposed which
provide for a system of vetting by the local planning authority or the use of a vague test such as
needing to be located in the area.
7.6.4 Unless intensification amounts to a material change in the character of use, it cannot
be controlled if unconditional planning permission has been granted. Planning authorities should
therefore consider the use of planning conditions or planning obligations on the initial permission to
safeguard local amenity.
7.6.5 A flexible attitude is required with respect to change of use to enable suitable re-use or
new use to be instituted in under-used space where this might contribute to the preservation of the
building or enhancement of the townscape or landscape.
7.6.6 Local planning authorities should adopt a constructive approach towards agricultural
development proposals, especially those which are designed to meet the needs of changing
farming practices, or are necessary to achieve compliance with new environmental, hygiene or
welfare legislation 13 .
7.6.7 Agriculture and forestry permitted development rights 14 are granted to meet
farming and forestry needs and not for purposes of diversification. They should not be abused,
for example, to circumvent normal planning policies on new building in the open countryside. Local
planning authorities should check the lawfulness of developments to be carried out under permitted
development rights. New farm buildings must be sited on land which is in use for agriculture for the
purposes of a trade or business, and must be reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture.
They must be within an agricultural unit which is at least 5 hectares in area, as well as meeting other
conditions governing the exercise of permitted development rights.
7.6.8 The re-use and adaptation of existing rural buildings has an important role in
meeting the needs of rural areas for commercial and industrial development, as well as for tourism,
sport and recreation. Local planning authorities should adopt a positive approach to the conversion
of rural buildings for business re-use, especially those buildings located within or adjoining farm
building complexes, provided that:
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Planning Policy Wales Edition 3 - July 2010 - Chapter 7 Supporting the Economy