Class C – mineral working for agricultural purposes

Class C of Part 6 is a narrow permitted development right for winning and working minerals on land held or occupied with agricultural land where the minerals are reasonably necessary for agricultural purposes within the agricultural unit. It is not a general permission to quarry, extract material for sale or operate a separate minerals business.

What Class C can be used for

The starting point is purpose. The mineral must be genuinely needed for agriculture within the agricultural unit. Paragraph D confirms that, for Class C, agricultural purposes include fertilising agricultural land and maintaining, improving or altering agricultural buildings, structures or works on agricultural land.

A proposal therefore needs a clear agricultural reason for the extraction and a sensible relationship between the mineral being won or worked and the agricultural work for which it is needed. If the real purpose is commercial mineral extraction or export from the holding, Class C is the wrong route.

Where can the material go?

Class C is tightly tied to the holding. Mineral extracted during the operation must not be moved outside the land from which it was extracted, except to other land held or occupied with that land and used for agriculture.

There is also a road safeguard: Class C is not available if an excavation would be made within 25 metres of the metalled part of a trunk road or classified road.

Does Class C need prior approval?

Class C itself does not contain the 28-day agricultural prior notification procedure used for certain Class A development. That does not mean every proposed excavation is automatically lawful. The operation must fall squarely within Class C and the rest of the GPDO, including any relevant environmental assessment controls, still applies. Other environmental, drainage, highways or land management consents may also be required depending on the works.

If the scale, purpose or destination of the material makes Class C doubtful, it is usually better to establish the correct planning route before extraction begins rather than try to defend the operation afterwards.

Winning and working minerals

The GPDO uses the planning concept of winning and working minerals. The important practical point for Class C is that the operation is mineral working only to the extent allowed by the Class and for the agricultural purpose described above. The legislation below should therefore be read with Paragraph D.

How Planning Geek can help

We can review whether the proposed extraction genuinely falls within Class C, check the agricultural unit and road constraints, advise on the evidence of agricultural necessity and identify when a minerals or conventional planning application is the safer route.

Other Agricultural Sections

Legislation

Class C – mineral working for agricultural purposes

Permitted development

C. The winning and working on land held or occupied with land used for the purposes of agriculture of any minerals reasonably necessary for agricultural purposes within the agricultural unit of which it forms part.

Development not permitted

C.1 Development is not permitted by Class C if any excavation would be made within 25 metres of a metalled part of a trunk road or classified road.

Condition

C.2 Development is permitted by Class C subject to the condition that no mineral extracted during the course of the operation is moved to any place outside the land from which it was extracted, except to land which is held or occupied with that land and is used for the purposes of agriculture.

Class C Page Updated: 23rd September 2026