What to provide with your planning application for an agricultural development

To enable us to respond to a planning application consultation, you must provide:

a location plan with an ordnance survey national grid reference
a description of the development and the reason(s) for your development proposal e.g. to support new or improved management of organic manures, to accommodate an increase in livestock numbers or the capacity for an increase in livestock numbers through provision of additional infrastructure, to support animal welfare or legislative compliance
the current number and type of stock reared on the farm holding and any changes associated with the proposed development
a detailed site and design plan of the proposed development and all relevant components e.g. organic manure management facilities, effluent channels and tanks
details of all sensitive receptors that may be at risk from the proposed development, and evidence to demonstrate how any identified risks can be addressed

Tell us about potential effects on sensitive environmental receptors from the proposal

Potential effects from proposed schemes may include, but are not limited to, habitat loss or fragmentation, disturbance to protected species, or potential effects on protected areas, statutory nature conservation designations (e.g. resulting from aerial emissions, or discharges to water or ground from the proposed scheme).

The Local Planning Authority will have other sensitive receptors to consider and we advise you also liaise with them.

If your development is within a river Special Area of Conservation catchment, or you intend to spread any resultant organic manure within a catchment then the Local Planning Authority may require you to provide information to inform their Habitats Regulations Assessment.

Read our advice to planning authorities for planning applications affecting phosphorus sensitive river Special Areas of Conservation.

Ammonia releases

If your development is at risk of releasing atmospheric ammonia to nearby sensitive sites, then you will need to assess their impacts and demonstrate that emissions of ammonia to air and deposition on sensitive sites is acceptable.

Read our advice on ammonia assessments.

Tell us about your existing and proposed drainage scheme

You will be expected to demonstrate that your drainage scheme is appropriate to manage the clean and contaminated water generated by your development.

As part of your planning application, you should:

identify the existing drainage arrangements for managing clean and contaminated water and provide confirmation that the existing system is functioning correctly
identify any clean and foul drains, new and existing, location, route, direction of flow and connections
identify any key components and features to manage water, including sustainable drainage, containers and tanks, constructed soakaways, French drains, swales, reed beds, settlement ponds, land drains, ditches and watercourses
identify the proposed drainage arrangements for managing the separation of clean and contaminated water
identify any proposed buildings and structures, including any roofs that will be served by the proposed drainage scheme
identify the use of any existing or new surface areas e.g. open yard, verandas and ranging areas used by poultry. You will also need to identify how these areas will be managed and drained.

Read advice from the Welsh Government on Sustainable Drainage Systems Approval Body applications for agriculture buildings, coverings and clean yards to help you decide if your scheme requires sustainable drainage to be incorporated as part of the development.

Tell us about the production of any organic manures

If your development produces any organic manure, yard, or parlour washings you should identify the quantity and type of solid organic manures and slurry (including contaminated water) that will be produced.

Tell us about the storage and movement of any organic manures

As part of your planning application you should:

provide a location plan and layout plan to scale, which identifies all sensitive receptors in relation to the organic manure storage facility and its components
provide details on how organic manures, slurry and contaminated waters will be stored
provide details of how the resulting organic manures, slurry and/or contaminated waters will be moved from the place of production to storage if applicable
demonstrate any new or substantially altered structures are compliant with requirements of The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage and Slurry) (Wales) Regulations 2010 and The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021
in the case of storage structures provide evidence including detailed calculations that the structure can comply with the storage capacities required under the above-mentioned regulations

Tell us about your proposals for earth banked storage lagoons

If your development constructs an earth banked storage lagoon, then you should provide:

the depth (in metres) of the base of the lagoon
details of soil characteristics and permeability tests
details of investigations and results to determine the depth of the water table. Water levels should be measured during the wettest time of the year, and
evidence that the depth of lagoon base is at least 1m above the water table in order to protect controlled waters and to facilitate ease of construction

Tell us about your silage storage

As part of your planning application you should:

provide a location plan and layout plan to scale, which identifies all sensitive receptors in relation to the silage storage facility and its components
provide details on how silage effluent will be stored
demonstrate any new or substantially altered structures are compliant with requirements of The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage and Slurry) (Wales) Regulations 2010 and The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021
in the case of effluent tanks provide evidence including detailed calculations that the structure can comply with the storage capacities required under the above-mentioned regulations

Read our advice on the storage of silage, and slurry, relating to location, required construction and capacity, including earth banked stores.

Tell us about how you will manage organic manures on your holding

If you are producing, storing, moving, or using any organic manures generated by the proposed development, you should detail how they will be managed.

If the development results in the production of organic manures, you will be expected to provide written evidence, known as a Nutrient Management Plan, demonstrating:

evidence of where the resultant organic manures will be used
that the amount of organic manures to be spread on land can meet soil and crop needs of the readily available nutrients at the time of application
compliance with current legislative requirements for spreading organic manures (The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021)

Preparing a risk map for your holding

If your development involves the spreading of any organic manures, slurry and / or contaminated waters for soil or crop need, you should prepare a risk map for your farm. The map should identify how much land is suitable for spreading manures and inorganics, and areas where manures and inorganics should not be spread.

Download guidance from the Welsh Government on how to produce a Risk Map for farmers and land managers

Tell us about how you will treat and/or export organic manures

If you intend to treat any organic manure at the place of production e.g. by anaerobic digestion or composting, or export it permanently off-site, you should provide full details.

Tell us about your ranging area plan for poultry farming

Applications for schemes involving poultry should be supported by a ranging area plan to assess the potential risk of run-off polluting sensitive receptors, along with reduction and mitigating measures.

This map should include but not be limited to the following:

the total range area and its boundaries
areas around livestock access points
direction of slope
soil type
sensitive receptors
mitigation measures for example, buffers, run-off controls, proposals for managing soil and crop cover, particularly around livestock access points like potholes and verandas

Before you construct a new silage or slurry store

You must notify us 14 days before you start construction of a new store for slurry or silage, including field silage sites, or when making substantial changes to an existing store.

How to obtain preliminary advice

Before you make a planning application you can apply for a free preliminary opinion and additional advice from our Discretionary Planning Service.

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