Highfield Farm Drewels Lane Abbotsley St Neots PE19 6XW Data via plota.co.uk

26/01036/P3MPA - Prior Approval Agri to Offices or Shops Approved

Proposal

Proposed change of use of an existing agricultural building and land within its curtilage to Class E Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
8 Jun 2026
✓
Validated
7 Jul 2026
✓
Consultation
9 Jul 2026
✓
Approved
3 Sept 2026

Approved on 3 Sept 2026 · Delegated · Last checked 10 Sept 2026

Associated applications 2

Site constraints 2

Agricultural land, grade 3a
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s), which most planning maps still show, had this area as grade 2. The predicted grade is Defra's current estimate; only a site survey settles it.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
National infrastructure project 629 m away: A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Road Improvement scheme
The site is 629 m from the project boundary. Highway, decided. The project page says whether consent was granted. Also within 2 km: East West Rail - Bedford to Cambridge and Western improvements (at pre-application, 604 m).
Nationally significant infrastructure projects (power stations, electricity lines, pipelines, major roads and railways, harbours, airports and reservoirs) are consented by a Secretary of State under the Planning Act 2008, after an examination by the Planning Inspectorate, rather than by the council. The boundary is the one the Inspectorate consults on and can change as the scheme does. Projects are shown within 2 km of the site.
Planning Inspectorate project page ↗
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Building

Floor area290 m² (3,122 sq ft)
Energy ratingD (55 out of 100), could reach B
PropertyDetached house, 7 habitable rooms
BuiltBefore 1900
HeatingBoiler and radiators, oil
WallsSolid brick, as built, no insulation (assumed)

From the energy performance certificate lodged in September 2021, the latest held for this property. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Important details

Application type
Prior Approval Agri to Offices or Shops
Postcode
PE19 6XW
Received
8 Jun 2026
Validated
7 Jul 2026
Ward
Great Paxton
Parish
Waresley-cum-Tetworth
Case officer
Show
Target decision
1 Sept 2026
Decision
Prior Approval COU Approved
Decision date
3 Sept 2026
Decision level
Delegated
Applicant
Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 58 days from validation, 24 days slower than Huntingdonshire's median of 34 for agricultural works. Approved, as 86% of agricultural works here are.

69%decided within 8 weeks
86%approved
33decided in the last year

Plota live figures for agricultural works decided by Huntingdonshire in the last twelve months, from validation. Huntingdonshire decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

1 neighbour consulted · Last counted 10 Sept 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14985572
Planning Portal ref
PP-14985572
Neighbours
9 Jul 2026
Consultation
9 Jul 2026
Comments by
18 Aug 2026
Site or press notice
28 Jul 2026
Statutory expiry
1 Sept 2026
Env. assessment
No
Huntingdonshire
Planning Authority Score
3.9/10
Below average
#197 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Huntingdonshire is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #210 out of 296. 55% of applications have the time limit extended, above the 41% national average. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (95%) than the national average (90%).

Slower than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Huntingdonshire decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
88%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #155 of 296
95%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #80 of 296
55%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #210 of 296
55%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #250 of 296
69%
Minor dwellings approved
175 decided (1-9 homes)
91%
Major dwellings approved
22 decided (10+ homes)
87%
Change of use approved
52 decided
1,077
Total decisions
125 refused in the year to March 2026

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.