Question on change of use

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Question on change of use

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Wigan Pixie

Joined: 07 Jan 2009
Posts: 42
Location: Lancashire

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 2:12 pm Post subject: Question on change of use

A few friends and I are in the early process of getting a communal smallholding together, where we will all live and work together as self sufficiently as possible.

Last night I woke up with thinking about change of land use. If we buy a property that has been used for equestrian purposes, do we have to inform anyone if we wanted to start growing crops and keeping chickens and goats?

I've done an internet search but I'm using my mobile phone until my laptop is fixed and it's impossible to use for searching.

Can anyone give me any advice or point me in the right direction or I'm not going to be able to sleep until I find out

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 2:26 pm Post subject:
Equestrian is not agriculture so IF they have a proper centre that they pay council business rates on then you would need planning for change of use. If is a field that someone keeps a horse on under the radar then its prob still registered as agricultural.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 2:45 pm Post subject:
Land can revert back to agriculture though, with no planning notice to confirm the change, you don't need planning for this to happen, but you might want it in the case of, as Richard stated above, where the equestrian use relates to a business activity and is rateable. Actually, you don't actually need the planning but you do need to contact the valuation office ro reassess your property.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 2:47 pm Post subject:
iirc having permission for equines does not mean you must have one keeping it open will help long term i prefer chillis and cucumbers to horses

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 3:00 pm Post subject:

RichardW wrote:

If is a field that someone keeps a horse on under the radar then its prob still registered as agricultural.

Not necessarily. I checked this with our local planning and was told officially that horses can be kept on an agricultural pasture and you would only need to apply for change of use if they were ridden on the land. (I may have misunderstood of course, or been mislead).

If the question doesn't relate to a specific piece of land I'd phone your local planners and ask them (I'm sure different councils either have different rules or at least interpret the same ones rather differently).

If it does relate to something specific then check with your solicitor, there may also be conditions on the land that might limit what you do, probably unlikely but I can't keep goats on my woodland for example.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8918
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 4:00 pm Post subject:
You might need permission to go from agriculture to horticulture..also worth checking.

Wigan Pixie

Joined: 07 Jan 2009
Posts: 42
Location: Lancashire

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 4:22 pm Post subject:
Thanks for the replies everyone, I'll be making appropriate phone calls after the Easter holidays

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 4:27 pm Post subject:
You don't need change of use from agriculture to horticulture unless there is development and/or a third use, such as a shop or visitor centre.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 12 6:05 pm Post subject:

Wigan Pixie wrote:

Thanks for the replies everyone, I'll be making appropriate phone calls after the Easter holidays

Good luck; I'd be interested how the whole project goes once you have things sorted.

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