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I have been told that if one was to buy (say 5 acres) of agricultural land, and then work it as a commercial venture for three years, permission to build a house on the land is very likely to be granted. Does anyone know if this is the case - it sounds like very good way forward for me if it can be done?

I wouldn't rely on that information.... best to phone, or go and see your local planning dept. and beware they may have changed the rules by the time you have worked the land for a few years.

Best to try to get a bit of land with a derelict house on it (IMO) , councils are usually very happy for you to renovate... and sometimes you don't need planning permission.

Annpan wrote:I wouldn't rely on that information.... best to phone, or go and see your local planning dept. and beware they may have changed the rules by the time you have worked the land for a few years.

Best to try to get a bit of land with a derelict house on it (IMO) , councils are usually very happy for you to renovate... and sometimes you don't need planning permission.

It all seemed too good to be true - I'll do some more investigating!

It would depend on the local plan. Plus of course, if you start it off as a smallholding, you'll end up with an agricultural condition if you are able to get permission to build on agricultural land, which is not necessarily a problem if you're looking to run a smallholding but if you don't want to continue, or if you want to sell, you'll have a big problem on your hands and rightly so. It should be illegal to build on agricultural land (although it hasn't stopped rows of modern red brick town houses being built around the 15th century villages here - according to Private Eye, our local authority is allegedly the most corrupt in the UK, with one possible exception).

hth
Lynne

lsm1066 wrote:It would depend on the local plan. Plus of course, if you start it off as a smallholding, you'll end up with an agricultural condition if you are able to get permission to build on agricultural land, which is not necessarily a problem if you're looking to run a smallholding but if you don't want to continue, or if you want to sell, you'll have a big problem on your hands and rightly so. It should be illegal to build on agricultural land (although it hasn't stopped rows of modern red brick town houses being built around the 15th century villages here - according to Private Eye, our local authority is allegedly the most corrupt in the UK, with one possible exception).

hth
Lynne

Thanks. I'd be planning to run it as a smallholding for the foreseeable future. It would just be nice to live on site.

I notice you're in Scotland where a distant bell ringing somewhere in the recesses of my brain suggest there planning laws may be different in this regard, perhaps something to do with crofts ... may be a blind alley, but maybe worth research...

not sure about the rules in scotland but in the south
you need to prove there is a need to live on site
that there is no suitable accomadation in the area (by suitable they dont worry weather you can afford it)
you have to run a viable buissness for 3 years and show a profit for at least 1year

there are various other clauses and things but you may notice that if you run a buissness for 3 years living of site how do you prove the need to live on site

i am going for yet another meeting with yet another planning authrity so fingers crossed these ones will be human but in past have been told you dont need to live on site as ctv can send live images to anywhere so there is no need . what is the point of being 30 miles away but nowing on of your animals is in distresss.
so good luck and ask the questions but if you lose your rag they wont give you permission

not sure about the rules in scotland but in the south
you need to prove there is a need to live on site
that there is no suitable accomadation in the area (by suitable they dont worry weather you can afford it)
you have to run a viable buissness for 3 years and show a profit for at least 1year

there are various other clauses and things but you may notice that if you run a buissness for 3 years living of site how do you prove the need to live on site

i am going for yet another meeting with yet another planning authrity so fingers crossed these ones will be human but in past have been told you dont need to live on site as ctv can send live images to anywhere so there is no need . what is the point of being 30 miles away but nowing on of your animals is in distresss.
so good luck and ask the questions but if you lose your rag they wont give you permission

(sorry managed to post twice clever aint i)