ABSTRACT
Agriculture in the UK and also in the rest of Europe is becoming big business. Owners of hitherto agricultural land are seeking other revenue-earning uses such as golf courses. UK food production is essentially controlled by EU policy, which aims at market stability. Buildings, irrespective of the enterprise, should be planned in terms of their functions for storage, processing or production. Superimposing linear buildings within or over traditional courtyard forms is both a visual and a tactical problem. Depending on managerial philosophy, building functions may be specialist, semi-specialist or flexible in their form. Most buildings are partially or wholly prefabricated, or are purchased under package deals. Most pre-1960 buildings are inefficient for modern production and many traditional buildings are redundant. The moving, alteration or demolition of historic farm buildings may be subject to listed building legislation. Farm building appearance, especially since many are exempt from control and since most are cheap compared to other building types, is a contentious issue.
