We recently secured the removal of an agricultural occupancy condition (AOC) from a rural property that had been in the same family for several generations.
The property had originally formed part of a wider farming operation but was retained when the farmhouse and agricultural land were sold many years ago. Although no longer connected to an active agricultural business, the occupancy restriction remained in place.
A key part of the case was demonstrating that there was no longer sufficient demand for the property as an agricultural dwelling. The vacant property had been marketed for over 12 months without attracting a qualifying purchaser, helping establish that the restriction was no longer serving its intended purpose.
To support the application, we submitted a comprehensive report detailing the marketing history of the property, local agricultural demand and employment trends, evidence of comparable tied properties remaining unsold and the planning justification for removal of the condition.
As part of the same application, adjoining agricultural land was regularised as residential garden land. The application was approved, successfully removing the agricultural tie and providing the owners with greater flexibility for the future.
Client Feedback
“Removing an agricultural tie is a difficult process and it was a lot easier to use Carver Knowles, who were very professional and experienced in dealing with our particular situation, which was successful in removing the agricultural tie on our property.”
— Mr R (Worcestershire)
If you have a property with an agricultural tie and you would like to explore the possibility of removing the occupancy condition, please contact Sam Carter on 01684 853400.