3 replies to this topic

[Thegreatescaper]

So here is the diary I never dreamed I would be writing.
It is very early days, in fact, the land isn't even mine yet! But I do have it on a rent to buy agreement, without which this never would have been possible.
It is however only two acres! But at least it has four stables :-) And I have up to 26 acres next door that I can and do rent some of for grazing as I wish and can buy some of at a later date at a pre agreed price :-) Unfortunately five hactares will probably be a little more than I can hope for though. Mind you two acres felt impossible a year ago.
As it is, I am not buying it with the intention of moving on, yet. It is to be primarily used for the housing, grazing, training and excersise of agricutural horses and ponies but obviously will have other agricultural practices going on also. After all it would be foolish to not. Chickens for example compliment equines well, keeping worm/egg numbers down and fertilising the pasture and horses eat more than just grass so when I have enough land I have a vast choice of crops to grow with a ready made custom base :-). My immediate interest in planning matters are simply for the matters outlined below.
I need:
1) a large shed or temperary structure for the storage of feed and tools. Possibly for the storage of equipment used in the training and excersise of the agricultural horses and ponies.
2) A caravan for somewhere to get out of the rain, cook meals, clean and possibly stay when required for animal care. And 'company creche' for when the kids are with us at unsociable hours lol.
3) A 'sick' paddock. Our native ponies are prone to laminitis, a horrific condition that can result in the animal needing to be put down. In order to prevent and/or treat this condition the animals diet need to be completely controlled and at times must be kept completely off grass, so the sick paddock must have a different surface such as wood chip that wont be eaten, so the animal can graze only on very low sugar forage supplied by man but without being restricted to a stable.
4) Horsebox on site.
5) Field shelter for housing of foals, new youngstock and or logging horse
6) Lunging ring/school. Whilst usually seen as being equestrian it applys equally for agricultural equines and is especially relevent with our native breeds. Excess weight makes the aforementioned laminitus significantly more probable. Excersise is the only was to prevent this excess weight in most native breeds that evolved without access to the best grazing so they 'make the most out of their food', often gaining weight when fed a safe minimum. And you can't simply starve the weight off them. If they do not eat enough fibreous matter throughout the day they will suffer the equine equivilent of indegestion, colic, another potentially fatal problem. In addition if an equine is required to get more than 40% of its calories from its fat stores it is likely to suffer a heart attack as the organ struggles to pump the fat thickened blood.
When the time comes to move on I would hopefully have purchased the aforementioned ajoining parcel of land  and have the L.P.A.'s approval. If done right I hope to give them no choice!
However, I see the likelyhood of this as being close to zero. The person that has the 26 acres has received nothing but problems, including finishing a barn that has permitted development  but wasn't built when purchased, fencing, refusing stables and even his caravan that is there for when he is working on the barn. He doesn't even live there, nor do they accuse him of doing so! His crime? Spending money I can only dream of fighting to save one of the most critically endangered breeds of native ponies! I hope to help him also.

I honestly believe that my plans are not only lawful but legal too. I am happy to show them this, after all if the government did its job correctly they would be a valuable asset. I do not however believe that L.P.A.'s apply the statutes correctly and should they  wish to fight me from an unjust position I will relish the fight. But not their way. I will be removing their authority over me and my land. MY LAND will not be registered with them giving them authority, I will however happily record its puchase showing me as the lawful owner.
However I have never been comfortable with authorities and have always been as 'free as a fox' to the point it has prevented me doing things I wish because I will not bow to the whims of our alleged masters. This lead me upon the freeman of the land concept, something  that always came across as a philosophy more than a reality to me. Alas, along came lumpnuggin to change that an remove all the freeman distractions and pin down all the required laws. I now have a greater understanding and would be confident of setting off in this direction as soon as the land is purchased with lumpnuggins P.D.F. in hand.

There is another facet to this story, but for now I don't wish to go public with it as it could embarise the head of my L.P.A. and should they not fight dirty nor will I, but if they take their gloves off, I will slip iron gloves on and do my best to destroy anyone or any organsisation that sets out to harm me.

I happily invite any and all opinions, comments and ideas on my plans in the appropriate areas of the forum.

[Thegreatescaper]

Been an eventful few days here. I had a good chat to the vender/landlord about my plans and he is happy for me to do any works required for my project and deal with the council in respects to them. Its a win win all round, I can get started properly and his land can only be improved. If I were to fail to keep my side of the contract he is left with better facilities than he has now. Should I keep my side of the deal, I am ahead of schedule with the works.

This has caused another advancement in the facilities available to me. Before I took possesion of the land a couple of weeks ago, the vendor had sited a touring caravan on it. This has attracted the attention of a nosey neighbour, most likely a planning officer with our L.P.A. no less! No surprise to me here, I knew he lived there. It doesn't bother me one bit, I am doing nothing wrong and am working within current rules and guidelines. If they want to do battle, so be it, I would hope that wouldn't lie to me and would see things as they are, but my experience of government officials and our collective learned knowledge of L.P.A.'s leads me to doubt this will be the case. The vendor has received two items of mail so far from the planners, that I have not yet seen, but neither sound like enforcement, one is a letter saying that the caravan 'has been noticed' and the other that 'it has been brought to their attention'. The vendor is going to contact them Monday and inform them it is for agricultural purposes and to deal with me if they wish to know anything or enforce. At last, somewhere to keep feed, meds tools and get out of the sleet.

Just let them try and tell me it's not neccesary. Yesterday my truck wouldn't start, not surprising, it's an old diesel n the battery just died in the freezing temps. Not that I was certain at the time that this was the fault and nor did I have time to find out. I had a sick foal and she needed her legs washing with meds and needed her pain meds and antibiotics. It's 4 miles from home to yard, about an hours walk, the quickest option. This was not an accident, for this very reason I wouldn't get land further away, it's the only way I can guarentee I can meet their need without fail, a neccesary commitment as we all know, if only planners could see this! So off we set, complete with a large rucksack each filled with neccessities including feed! Then a full days graft before heading back. All without food or anywhere to take a break and only the water tap for a drink. I got home at just gone 6 (couldn't leave earlier, she needed her nightly leg cleaning and night meds) to a truck that needed to be fixed to meet the animals continued needs. I ate at gone 9pm (due to stomach issues I can't eat the crud they sell in shops as snacks/prepared food, not that theres a shop closer than about 3 miles and going so long without food can cause issues in itself). Please don't read this as a complaint, it is far from it. A bad day in this game is paradise in comparison to a bad day in the rat race, for me at least. But surely it illistrates a genuine need.

On another note, I also met an enforcement officer for the first time yesterday snooping on my neighbours land but I've got to eat now so thats going to have to be a funny story for the coming days, but he did feel a bit silly by the time he left. Think he might have even felt a little pang of guilt that his actions are hampering efforts at saving an endangered animal of which there are only a few hundred breeding females left in the world.

[Thegreatescaper]

Whilst feeding the ever growing muck heap today it occured to me, I need a poly tunnel. Kills 2 birds and all that, the manure will make excellent compost, eliminating the need for removal (what a waste that is, it's just like taking all the nutrients from your land and throwing them away) and would provide another income stream, during the summer too when the work in the woods will be at a minimum or reducing animal winter supplimentary feed costs. The ideal site at the bottom of the land, but this is the furthest point from all the current development though, so I doubt it would go down well there. Can't be helped, the L.P.A. like everything out of sight, and so do I, it can't be the case for this however due to the requirement of maximum sunlight, hidden behind hedges will kind of make it pointless! But at least it is next to the neighbours barn (the very same one the planners threw a hissy fit over and lost). Unsure at the moment what to grow though. Winter forage for the equines would be good but I think this may be more suited to a hydroponic operation such as that seen on Countryfile, so think I might try for a summer of salads.

I'm hoping to arrange a more secure tenancy on the neighbouring farm where I also graze agricultural equines as this will enable me to graze more animals such as sheep or goats and on my own land free up space to possibly start a small pig enterprise, i'm already designing somewhere for poultry.

Starting to see why everyone here is so busy. I've been a workaholic in previous professions but in this one it doesn't seem so much work as living, so perhaps now I am a 'livingaholic,'a state of zen'!

[Thegreatescaper]

Well, as regulars to the forum probably know by now, I have a stockmans hut onsite that has attracted the attention of the L.P.A. who are requesting my reasoning why there is a caravan on site.
I have written up quite a long plan listing all I am doing and planning to do all cross referenced to the relevant legislation. I wish I could post it here now but am keeping it close to my chest for now (I will gladly post it later down the line when I have reached a point it can't be used to give the council advance warning of my defence) as I don't want the L.P.A. to know more than they must for me to continue, for no other reason than my private business none of theirs, as long as I can demonstrate that I am working within the rules.
So they are going to get a letter stating little more than it is a stockmans hut there to meet the 1974 Health and Safety At Work Act. and the 2006 Animal Welfare Act. and is permitted development under section 4 of the 1995 General Permitted Development Order. Let the letter tennis begin. I will keep you all updated with each return played.
I thorougly recommend that anyone undertaking a similar project writes out their plan cross referenced to all the relvant legislation. At a glance you can dismiss any notion they may try to put in you mind that there is any chance that you could be wrong. It is a great confidence giver.