ProjectMilking Parlour
LocationNorfolk
ClientPrivate - Agricultural
StatusPre-planning
A Class Q barn conversion creates a flourishing, resilient future for the farm and surrounding community
Milking Parlour demonstrates how to create a flourishing future for rural communities, pairing rural planning expertise with environmental rigour and thoughtful design.
This proposal seeks to convert a 1970s dairy barn into five new homes under Class Q permitted development. The project offers an opportunity to diversify income for a multigenerational farm while delivering much-needed housing for the local area - without the need for full planning permission.
Designing for Comfort, Light, and Wellbeing
Each of the five homes is carefully crafted around generous proportions, natural light, and ease of living. Open-plan layouts, double-height spaces, and dual-aspect windows ensure that every room benefits from daylight, views, and ventilation.
All units significantly exceed national minimum space standards, with the smallest home offering 16 sqm more than the required minimum. Living spaces are arranged for modern life - with flexibility, storage, and long-term comfort built in.
Rooflights, bifold doors, and carefully positioned windows provide between 200-400% more daylight than the minimum guidance, supporting circadian rhythms and mental wellbeing. Bedrooms are bright, well-sized, and properly ventilated, with built-in storage exceeding national requirements.
Natural, Local Materials
The scheme prioritises natural and local materials, helping the homes sit lightly in the landscape while reducing embodied carbon impacts.
The original modular concrete structure is retained, avoiding unnecessary demolition and preserving the barn’s distinctive 4.5m bay rhythm. External walls are wrapped in locally sourced timber cladding, air-dried on site using traditional techniques. Corrugated metal roof sheeting, timber fibre insulation, and open-board detailing draw directly from the site’s agricultural language - delivering warmth, texture, and character.
Where possible, materials are left exposed and honest - reflecting both the building’s past and its new purpose.
A Thriving Future for the Farm - and the Community
More than a conversion, Milking Parlour is a rural regeneration project rooted in environmental responsibility. It shows how family farms can embrace change - supporting the next generation, protecting the land, and creating homes that meet both current and future needs.
What Is Class Q?
Class Q is a form of permitted development that allows agricultural buildings to be converted into residential homes without full planning permission. It’s a pragmatic, policy-backed route to rural housing that encourages the reuse of existing structures - saving materials, reducing emissions, and supporting land-based livelihoods.
At Milking Parlour, we’re using Class Q to unlock new potential for a farm building that would otherwise sit empty - bringing it back into use with minimal impact and maximum care.
