One Planet Development in Wales: The Lawful Off-Grid Route

What is One Planet Development?

One Planet Development is a planning policy framework introduced by the Welsh Government in 2010 (and revised in subsequent editions of TAN 6, most recently in 2021) to enable low-impact, land-based developments in the open countryside.

The policy recognises that some people want to live a genuinely sustainable, low-impact lifestyle on rural land — growing food, managing woodland, regenerating ecosystems — and that under normal planning policy, such a dwelling would be flatly refused because it is isolated new residential development in the countryside.

OPD creates an exception: if you can prove your household will meet the majority of its basic needs from the land, maintain a very low ecological footprint, and manage the land to enhance the environment, then the local planning authority may grant planning permission for a dwelling that would otherwise be unacceptable.

It is important to be clear: OPD is not a way to buy cheap rural land and build a house. It is a framework for a radical, land-based lifestyle with strict, measurable, and enforceable conditions. The dwelling is ancillary to the land management; the land management is the primary activity.

One Planet Development Wales vs England: the critical difference

Wales has One Planet Development. England does not.

In England, the only route to a new rural dwelling on agricultural or woodland land is via the isolated rural dwelling exception in the National Planning Policy Framework (currently Paragraph 84, previously 79). That exception is very narrow: it requires either an essential rural worker with a functional and financial need, or a dwelling of exceptional design quality. Off-grid planning permission in the UK is not easier in England just because you are off-grid — living off mains services does not bypass planning law.

One Planet Development is fundamentally different. It is a Welsh Government policy, set out in TAN 6, and it focuses on sustainability, self-sufficiency, and ecological footprint, not agricultural business viability or architectural merit. It is available to anyone who can meet the criteria, not just farmers or architects.

This difference matters enormously if you are buying land to live off-grid. A plot in rural Wales may offer an OPD route; the same plot across the border in Shropshire or Herefordshire does not.

BuyLand Plot Reports currently cover England only. If you are considering land in Wales for One Planet Development, you will need to check the local development plan, speak to the local planning authority, and often engage a specialist OPD planning consultant. We cover the key checks later in this guide.

The One Planet Development criteria: what you must prove

To gain planning permission under OPD, you must satisfy all of the following, as set out in TAN 6 and assessed by your local planning authority:

1. Meeting your basic needs from the land

You must demonstrate that your household will provide at least 65% of your basic needs from the land within five years of occupation. "Basic needs" means:

• Food
• Income / livelihood
• Energy
• Waste management / composting
• Water (where possible)

This is measured and monitored. You submit a Management Plan (see below) showing how you will achieve this, and the council will review your progress. If you fail to meet the target, enforcement action can follow, including removal of the dwelling.

2. Ecological footprint well below the Welsh average

Your household's ecological footprint must be significantly lower than the Welsh average (currently around 2.6 global hectares per person). Most OPD applications target a footprint of 1.5 gha/person or less, achieved through:

• Renewable energy generation (solar, wind, micro-hydro)
• Low car use / shared transport
• Plant-based or land-sourced diet
• Minimal imports and waste
• Low-impact building materials

You calculate this footprint (using recognised tools, often the "Ecological Footprint Calculator" or similar) and include it in your Management Plan. The council may require annual reporting.

3. A comprehensive Management Plan

Your planning application must include a detailed One Planet Development Management Plan, typically 30–100+ pages, covering:

• Land management: what you will grow, rear, plant, regenerate, and how
• Buildings: low-impact design, materials, energy performance
• Income: how you will earn a living from the land (market gardening, woodland products, eco-tourism, etc.)
• Basic needs breakdown: the 65% calculation, year by year
• Ecological footprint: current and projected, with evidence
• Waste, water, energy: systems and self-sufficiency plans
• Monitoring and review: how you will report progress

The Management Plan is a binding document. It becomes a condition of your planning permission. Many applications fail because the Plan is unrealistic, lacks evidence, or does not demonstrate genuine self-sufficiency.

4. Net benefit to the environment

The development must deliver a net benefit to the natural environment. This often means:

• Tree planting and woodland creation or restoration
• Habitat creation (ponds, hedgerows, wildflower areas)
• Soil improvement and regenerative agriculture
• Biodiversity gains (measured, not just claimed)

You may need ecological surveys, and the council will condition ongoing habitat management.

5. Minimal reliance on private car use

Because of the ecological footprint requirement, you must demonstrate low reliance on the car. This can be difficult in rural Wales. You will need to show:

• Home-based income (so minimal commuting)
• Proximity to services where possible, or shared transport / electric vehicle use
• A credible transport plan in your Management Plan

6. Temporary permission and monitoring

OPD planning permission is usually granted as a temporary permission (often three to five years initially), with conditions requiring:

• Annual monitoring reports to the council
• Meeting the 65% and footprint targets within the set timeframe
• A review at the end of the temporary period

If you meet the conditions, the permission can be made permanent. If you do not, the council can refuse to renew it and enforce removal of the dwelling. This is not theoretical: enforcement happens, and some OPD households have been required to leave.

How hard is it to get One Planet Development planning permission?

Very hard. OPD is a lawful route, but it is not a common one, and the success rate is low.

Challenges include:

• The evidence burden: your Management Plan must be detailed, realistic, and backed by credible data (soil tests, income projections, ecological assessments). Many applicants underestimate this.
• Officer and committee scepticism: some planning officers and councillors view OPD as a backdoor to rural housing and scrutinise applications intensely.
• Local plan policies: not all Welsh local planning authorities have adopted OPD policies in their local development plans. Even where TAN 6 applies, local policy can add further tests or discourage applications in certain areas (e.g. designated landscapes, Green Belt).
• Cost and time: preparing an OPD application often requires specialist consultants (planning, ecology, land management), and costs can run into thousands or tens of thousands of pounds. Applications can take 12–18 months or more.
• Living up to the commitments: even if you gain permission, you must then deliver. Meeting 65% of basic needs from a Welsh smallholding, in all weathers, with a family, is physically, financially, and emotionally demanding. Monitoring is real, and enforcement follows failure.

That said, OPD permissions are granted. There are dozens of successful One Planet Developments across Wales, and a small but experienced community of practitioners, consultants, and advocates. If you are committed, skilled, and realistic, it is achievable — but you should assume at least two to three years from land purchase to occupation, and significant expense.

Finding and buying land for One Planet Development in Wales

If you are considering OPD, land selection is critical. You need:

1. Enough land: Most successful OPDs are on 2–10 hectares (roughly 5–25 acres). Smaller plots make it very hard to meet the 65% basic needs test; much larger holdings may trigger questions about why you need a dwelling (you might not be actively managing it all).

2. Productive potential: The land must be capable of supporting your Management Plan. Steep, wet, or heavily degraded land makes food production and income generation much harder. Ideally, look for a mix of productive ground, woodland or woodland-planting potential, and water (stream, spring, or reliable borehole potential).

3. Planning status: Check the local development plan. Does the local authority explicitly support OPD? Some councils (e.g. Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Powys) have experience and policy; others are less welcoming. Check for Green Belt, National Park, or AONB designations — OPD is not automatically excluded from these, but the bar is higher.

4. Access: You need lawful vehicular access (a right of way or adopted road). Even low-car households need access for deliveries, emergencies, and income activities (e.g. selling produce). Off-grid power and access covers access checks in detail.

5. Water: A spring, borehole, or stream is highly desirable. Mains water is allowed under OPD, but relying on it weakens your self-sufficiency case. See Water supply on off-grid land in the UK for checks (though note that guide is UK-wide; in Wales, contact Natural Resources Wales for abstraction licensing if you plan to take more than 20 cubic metres per day).

6. Existing planning history: Check for previous refusals, enforcement, or restrictive conditions (e.g. agricultural occupancy ties, or previous OPD applications that failed). You can search the local planning authority's public planning register.

When viewing off-grid land for sale in Wales, be cautious of sellers or agents marketing land "ideal for OPD" or "perfect for off-grid living". That is aspiration, not permission. You do not have the right to build or live on the land until you have planning permission, and gaining OPD permission is a long, uncertain process.

One Planet Development and temporary structures: can you live in a caravan or shed while you build?

A common question: "Can I buy land for OPD, move into a caravan or temporary structure, and then apply for planning permission?"

The short, legal answer: not without planning permission for the caravan/temporary dwelling.

Living in a caravan, yurt, shepherd's hut, or any structure as your home is a material change of use of the land to residential, and it requires planning permission — even if the structure itself is movable. Can you live in a caravan off-grid in the UK? explains this in detail.

Some OPD applicants seek temporary planning permission for a mobile home or low-impact temporary structure as part of their OPD application, arguing that they need to be on-site to establish the land management and demonstrate commitment. This is sometimes granted (particularly where the applicant is already making progress on the land management), but it is not automatic, and it must be applied for and approved.

Do not move onto the land and hope for retrospective permission. Welsh planning authorities enforce, and unauthorised occupation can severely harm your chances of gaining OPD permission later (it demonstrates disregard for the planning system, which is the opposite of the responsible, cooperative approach OPD requires).

How to check a specific plot in Wales for One Planet Development potential

If you have found land in Wales and want to assess its OPD potential, here are the essential checks:

1. Local Development Plan and OPD policy

Search "[Name of Council] Local Development Plan" and read the strategic and rural housing policies. Does the plan explicitly support One Planet Development? Some councils have dedicated OPD policies; others rely on TAN 6 alone. Contact the planning authority's duty planning officer and ask whether they have experience with OPD applications and what their success rate is.

2. Designations: Green Belt, National Park, AONB

OPD is not automatically excluded from designated landscapes, but the policy test may be higher (e.g. demonstrating that the development enhances the special qualities of the area). Check the planning constraints on the local authority's planning map or the Planning Portal for Wales.

3. Planning history

Search the council's online planning register for the land parcel or nearby plots. Have there been previous OPD applications? Were they approved or refused, and why? Previous refusals may indicate particular local sensitivities (e.g. landscape impact, access, or scepticism about deliverability).

4. Flood risk

Check Natural Resources Wales flood maps. OPD dwellings are often low-impact and single-storey, which can be vulnerable in flood zones. Flood Zone 2 or 3 may not be an absolute bar, but you will need a flood risk assessment and may face additional conditions.

5. Water source and abstraction

If you plan to abstract water from a spring, borehole, or watercourse, check whether you need a licence from Natural Resources Wales. Abstractions of 20 cubic metres per day or less are generally exempt, but you must still register some exempt abstractions. Larger abstractions (e.g. for irrigation or livestock) require a full licence.

6. Access rights

Confirm that the plot has lawful vehicular access via an adopted road, private right of way, or track with demonstrable legal access. If access is disputed or unclear, you may not be able to gain planning permission (or, if you do, you may not be able to lawfully use it). Check the title deeds and, if necessary, instruct a solicitor.

7. Ecological baseline

Consider commissioning a preliminary ecological survey. This can identify protected species or habitats (e.g. bats, great crested newts, ancient woodland) that may affect your Management Plan or require mitigation. It also gives you baseline data to measure your net environmental benefit against.

BuyLand Plot Reports currently cover England only. We do not yet offer automated planning and constraint reports for Welsh land. If you are assessing a plot in Wales, you will need to conduct these checks manually via the local planning authority, Natural Resources Wales, and the Land Registry, or instruct a Wales-based planning consultant with OPD experience.

For plots in England, our BuyLand Plot Report provides planning status, constraints, flood risk, access, and more in one document. View a sample report to see what's covered.

Resources and next steps

If you are serious about One Planet Development, we recommend:

• Read TAN 6 in full: Welsh Government Technical Advice Note 6 (search "TAN 6 Planning for Sustainable Rural Communities" on the Welsh Government website).
• Contact the local planning authority: Speak to a planning officer in the area where you are considering land. Ask about their OPD policy, application process, and any recent approvals or refusals.
• Join the OPD community: The One Planet Council offers guidance, case studies, and a network of practitioners and consultants. The Lammas eco-village in Pembrokeshire is a well-known OPD example and publishes learning resources.
• Instruct a specialist consultant: OPD applications are complex. A planning consultant with OPD experience (and, ideally, a land management or permaculture consultant to help with the Management Plan) can significantly improve your chances of success.
• Be realistic about time, cost, and commitment: Budget at least £10,000–£20,000 for land, application costs, and initial infrastructure, and at least two to three years to go from purchase to occupation. Understand that the ongoing lifestyle is physically demanding and financially precarious for many households.

For the broader context on off-grid living and planning across the UK, start with our pillar guide: Can You Live Off-Grid in the UK? The Planning Reality.

Final word: OPD is a genuine route, but it is not a shortcut

One Planet Development is one of the most progressive, enlightened planning policies in the UK. It recognises that genuinely sustainable, land-based living can be appropriate in the countryside, and it provides a lawful framework to make it happen.

But it is not a way to dodge the planning system, buy cheap land, and live however you want. It is a demanding, monitored, and enforceable regime that requires radical commitment, skills, evidence, and accountability.

If you are willing to meet that challenge, OPD offers a unique opportunity in Wales. If you are looking for an easier route to rural off-grid living, be honest with yourself: there may not be one, in Wales or anywhere else in the UK. The planning reality is hard, and the sooner you understand it, the better your decisions will be.

For England-based plots, start your due diligence with a BuyLand Plot Report — planning, constraints, access, flood risk, and more in one place. For Wales, speak to the local planning authority, read TAN 6, and consider instructing a specialist. Either way, check before you buy.