Piggery To Penthouse: Permitted Development Prohibited

Although not technically a penthouse, a recent case concerning the conversion of a piggery into a dwelling house merits attention, as it raises the familiar question of whether planning permission is actually required. This appeal (reference APP/V2653/W/19/3239194) concerned two different exceptions to the requirement to obtain planning permission. The first was the possibility that the works fell under Class Q of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 ("GPDO"). The second was the suggestion that the works fell outside the definition of 'development' in section 55(2)(a) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 ("the 1990 Act"). However in this case the piggery conversion was found to satisfy neither.