16 replies to this topic

[caninejenny]

OK just want to know what is the worst that can happen...

 

I own outright 12 acres of agricultural land and have done for 12 years. This land is 7 miles from the house that i currently rent. I have asked about the possibilty of planning on there so i may live there but I have to say there is a total arrogant man in charge at the council who says as long as he is in charge i will never get it...... I have legal planning on it for my block of stables which was erected some 11 years ago. I also have a static caravan on the land again thats been there for now 10 years. The council agreed back then reluctantly for me to keep the static there as long as its for storage etc and not to be lived in...I currently have 5 horses on the land and my 4 dogs. (all owned by me)...over the past couple of years i have been broken into and had almost £2000 worth of tack and tools stolen over night. It reduces me to tears, I am on my own with 2 children of 14 and 15 and all they want to do is have animals on the land and live the country life. 

      I am sick of paying the high domestic bills in the house i live in and finding the money for the rent and the petrol cost running to the land every day. I am seriously considering giving up the house and living in my caravan with the children to be with my animals...I know they will tell me to get off but i cant afford to keep a house and dont see why i should being as i own my own land....any advice please...

[tim'rous beastie]

Can you make a recording of the little hitler at the planning, it sounds like personal intimidation, bullying, what does he think he is?  Who the heck does he think he is!?!?

 

i know recordings made in secret don't stand up in court but if you could let some people hear what he says maybe they could advise you? 

[caninejenny]

yes i agree i have felt for along time he has made it personal as im not welsh speaking...although half welsh but of course i cant prove that...i keep hoping he will change jobs but he has been there 10 years now and im not getting any younger lol...

[caninejenny]

pm'd you too x

[Chris1]

Sorry I'm not in a position to offer (legal:) ) advice on this, but for what it's worth, I believe if you own the land you should be free to do as you wish with it. I would like to live in a 'shed' of my own making, but 'the system' is there to prevent it. Good luck with the plann(k)ers. Such personal comments are out of order.

[boiow]

why don,t you buy/rent 1/2 an acre  and do the field to farm system.

[caninejenny]

Thanks guys but its too hard for me to do the F2F sceme (as much as i would love to) as I'm on my own, and as much as my teenage children want to work on there they are still young and I don't think I could do it alone..

[Shardlowpeasant]

I wish you the best of luck in your battle with the planners. I don't understand why one arrogant person can make the statement that you will never be able to live on the land whilst he is in charge. Council emlpoyees & councillors have to sign a declaration about not discriminating against anyone on grounds of creed, sexuality race etc so maybe you could go down the discrimination route with a bit of legal advice. where in wales are you?

[caninejenny]

Trouble is proving what he said to me he has been the bane of my life since the day i bought the land (and believe me i wish i hadn't) I had dreams and plans and was alot younger and at that time had a husband....It was all we wanted but they made our life hell and it took its toll on my marriage...I am now single and have been for the past 11 years (Thanks mr council!!!!)

I've struggled to keep a roof over my kids head and food in their stomach. I refused to claim benefits and have spent every penny i had trying to better my land..which I have, but due to the ever rising domestic bills, the cost of fuel and food etc I am at the end of my tether and we have spoken many times about just moving onto the land to protect my animals and my possessions against any more theft and to save the petrol as i have to do a 16 mile return trip to the land everyday to feed the animals. Sorry for sounding off just don't know what to do any more. I am sick of not being able to do what i want with my own land.x

I am in carmarthenshire x

[Shardlowpeasant]

No problem sounding off, sharing problems can help ease the pain even if only slightly. To myself moving on to the land is the sensible choice to reduce your outgoings but the planners will see it differently. Besides saving you a lot of money it would free up your house for another local family & be environmentally friendly by reducing the number of car journeys you have to make besides the obvious benefits of living on site. I am just so fortunate to rent a house in walking distance of my land which is of great benefit all round even though it doesn't stop the thieves. I have a friend who is a solicitor who doesn't try too hard defending rural thieves in court having been a victim on his own smallholding. I will be away from the Forum until Monday but will keep an eye on your posts.

[tim'rous beastie]

Hey

 

If you want to let the planners know what you're doing, make an appointment to speak to someone and take a witness with you.  Write down everything they tell you, or better still ask them to write it down, along with their name, just say "so I don't forget".

 

If I were you, I would keep quiet and move on, let them come to you don't talk to them over the gate, insist they put everything in writing.  Look on tpuc.org somewhere there you will find a sign to put on the access to your land denying any implied right of access and requesting that any visits are by appointment only, appointments can only be made in writing,  and that anyone coming onto your land is CRB checked as you have children on the premises.

 

All this will slow them and give you time to get things going and have a justifiable business. 

[Chris1]

Excellent delaying obstacles, tim'rous. What a terrible shame I'm spoken for and unavailable... )

[caninejenny]

Lol chris1 well im free and in need of a good man ha ha!

[bramblebasher]

Jenny,

 

This is a tricky one, I can completely sympathise with your predicament. You could just move on and take it as it comes, the reality is that it will take them a long time to get you back off. The course of events would likely be this : You move on, because the council are already eying you up (so to speak) it would likely not be long until you received a planning contravention notice, they will insist you make a planning application (which is fair unless you are doing building works on site,) this will take at least two months to process, most likely they will deny you planning for change of use, you can then appeal the decision, this gives you a further six months, most likely the appeal inspector will deny the appeal. They will then have to find you somewhere to live, again this takes time.

 

The above course of events can be very stressful, some deal with that better than others, the first time I went through something similar I did not enjoy it much.

 

Unless you can demonstrate that you are setting up a thriving and sustainable business, which can provide enough income to sustain a new dwelling, it is unlikely you will be successful in a planning application, however it does happen! 

 

If you do just go for it, then you are going to need to get into some serious agricultural activity as soon as possible, for example free range poultry, obviously this requires serious financial outlay, but without this show of intention the council are not likely to even consider your application. Unfortunately horsiculture (yes that's spelt right) is not considered agriculture as defined by the Town And Country Planning Act.

 

I am sorry if any of the above sounds negative, however it is fairly objective as far as my experience goes from reading many appeal cases and speaking with members here.

 

May the force be with you, regardless of what you choose to do : )

 

Brambles.

[Chris1]

Lol chris1 well im free and in need of a good man ha ha!

Never admit that you're free... Always maintain that you're expensive. ;o) Good luck anyway.

[Groundhog]

Totaly agree with Bramble basher

[tim'rous beastie]

Horsiculture is being taken more seriously and people are getting TPP, but knowing you do have some fowl plans i'd get stuck into them and leave the nags on the back burner, they never make any money anyway lol. 

 

I still think it's worth talking to Lammas.