Residential dwellings in the countryside allowed under Paragraph 84 of the NPPF

What is it?

In exceptional circumstances, planning permission may be granted for houses in the open countryside under Paragraph 84 of the National Planning Policy Framework. This is a section within the NPPF that sets out the guidelines for planning and building new homes in isolated rural areas of England.

The conditions for building under Paragraph 84 are:

• There is an essential need for a rural worker, including those taking majority control of a farm business, to live permanently at or near their place of work in the countryside;

• The development would represent the optimal viable use of a heritage asset or would be appropriate enabling development to secure the future of heritage assets;

• The development would re-use redundant or disused buildings and enhance its immediate setting;

• The development would involve the subdivision of an existing residential building; or

• The design is of exceptional quality, in that it:

  • is truly outstanding, reflecting the highest standards in architecture, and would help to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas; and

  • would significantly enhance its immediate setting, and be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area.