Planning Laws

[mamos]

Hi All

We are in the process of looking for a small piece of land that we can live sustainably on.
We are pretty sure we would not get planning permission for the kind of dwelling we are thinking of or any of the systems ie rain water harvesting, power generation etc

What are the laws regarding living on your own land. I have heard you can live on you own land with out permission for a maximum of 28 days in the year but I have heard stories of people being able to live in caravans etc to look after a sick horse or because they have rare breeds on the land that need round the clock protection.

There are also things like if you live undetected on your land for 5 years you are home free but how do they know you have been there for five years if you are undetected?

Would you then get hit for 5 years back poll tax?

I have also heard indirectly from the travellers liaison officer that if you are not a nuisance and look after and improve the land and you are not en mass the council will not be seen to make you homeless and so they may turn a blind eye

It all seems a bit of a mine field so I though I would throw it open to discussion here and see if we can get a few hard facts and hear from people who have done it.

mamos

[Green Aura]

Does Ben Law have any info in his book or website. (He was the bloke who built my dream house on Grand Designs).

I remember he had a hell of a job getting planning permission, and in the end they were ridiculously tight, but he did manage to get it eventually.

[mamos]

We are not looking to apply for permission initially

We will probably move onto the land and cross the planning problem when it comes.

What I would like to know is what we can and can't get away with without having to go down the planning route.

We would like to initially use the land for growing veg and keeping chickens etc. We would need a poly tunnel and a chicken shed and a shed for tools etc.
Obviously we would need to visit the site daily and so locals would get used to us coming and going on a regular basis. We could spend the odd night there and slowly but surely move onto the land over a couple of years.

That is the sort of thing

I would like to hear from people who are doing, have done or are thinking of doing a similar thing.

Any thoughts good or bad would be welcome

mamos

[John Headstrong]

I was fairly sure that it is the same as squating and you need to be living there for 12 years.

but this case http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Sky-Ne ... 0641315454 he was under the impression that 4 years was enough

I knew someone that was living in the woods owned and connected to his grandparents house, he built a "earth shelter" style house, quite small and basic, living area/kitchen, bedroom and a bathroom. I have no idea if he is still there but no one cared. If you are well hidden, out of sight you could get away with it for ages. There are lots of communities doing it dotted around the place.

for more research ,
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tinkers+bubble
http://www.tlio.org.uk/chapter7/
http://www.tlio.org.uk/

[mamos]

I think that if you squat on land for 12 years you can claim it but we are willing to buy the land.

I think if you can build a house and you are not challenged for 5 years you can get away without PP but I am not sure about any of these things and what I need is some facts to build my futre on.

Facts that I don't really want to go to the planning department for as the last they know about my plans the better for now

mamos

[Clara]

sorry i don't have any facts but i would say what you can get away with will probably come down to what your neighbours and community will "let" you get away with. in that case trying to be under the radar might not help, better to have good relationships with them than none at all, which might require work and cunning on your part.

i doubt that you can skip pp if you get away with it for 5 years, spain is lax but they'd still hit you with a huge fine and probable demolition for that.

[Green Aura]

I just found this- no idea if it's really useful or a complete rip-off (although I have my suspicions )

http://www.fieldtofarm.com/

[happy place]

greenaura i am thinking of buying this book so will let you know if it is the rip off i fear or genuwinly usefull

[dave45]

Try this http://www.thatroundhouse.info/

these guys seem to have done smth similar to what you are after

[rockchick]

You should be able to get impartial advice from Planning Aid http://www.planningaid.rtpi.org.uk/ and there is quite a lot of advice about making applications on the Planning Portal http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/ It sounds like you want to buy a field and live on it which effectively involves getting permission for change of use from agricultural to residential and the permission for the building/caravan. I used to work in a development control (ie planning) dept (but as admin not an officer so don't quote me!) and from what I can remember the local authority can only take enforcement action within 4 years for building works, after that they can't take action and for change of use they have 10 years to take action. After that length of time you can apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development but i think you would have to provide written evidence that you had been resident for that time.

My friends father did a very similar thing. They bought a small field 20 odd years ago and used it like garden and camping area, although it wasn't where they lived permanently. He got permission to leave a caravan on the site and he has now retired and got a larger mobile home on the site and lives there permanently. So it can be done, good luck!

[HayleyC]

Does Ben Law have any info in his book or website. (He was the bloke who built my dream house on Grand Designs).

I remember he had a hell of a job getting planning permission, and in the end they were ridiculously tight, but he did manage to get it eventually.

Hi. If you read Ben Laws 'Woodland Way' book then it says about planning laws concerning coppice workers.

[caithnesscrofter]

Go to simon fairlies site Chapter 7 on the The land is ours website and he will give you a good idea of how to go about it.