[kathiejs]

I've read loads of info about the need of change of use permission from agricultural to equestrian, but can't find anything about the other way round.  Or equestrian to ...um...not sure.

We are in the proess of buying a smallholding (<5ha) which we intend to run pretty much on a self-sufficiency basis (ie not looking to make income really, apart from the holiday letting cottage), mostly horticulture, poultry and maybe goats/cheese.  There are 5 stables (or 4 and a tack room, whatever that is).  We have absolutely no interest in horses except for their well-rotted manure, and it seems that letting out stables is a bit of a minefield, so other ideas we have for using the stables are:-
Brewing/cider press & storage of the products
Smoking (food, not tobacco)
Storage (animal feed, machinery, general bits & bobs like fencing)
Stick extra freezers in them (to store produce from the land)
Temporary shelter for poultry or goats (eg very cold weather, kidding)

Would we need change of use for any of those?  It seems that a near neighbour is a bit of a council busybody, so while it's tempting to think we'll just do whatever, we will need him onside when we come to bigger things like an extra polytunnel - so probably best to play by the rules!

Thanks

PS any other suggestions for use of wooden stables welcome!

[xenedra]

Hi there,

I have my horses on a livery yard and the owner had to apply for planning permission to change a stable into a stable, simply because it had been used as a knackered old store shed for years since it last had a horse in it, so the planner said it had changed it's use. How ridiculous is that?!  Bearing in mind most planning departments seem to be full of self important pencil pushers, fastidious about following every tiny rule in the book to the letter, I'd imagine if they know what you're hoping to do, you'd need to change the use back to agricultural if you ask. But if you keep your head down, and your neighbour happy, you won't need to bother with the paperwork and expense. If it was me I wouldn't bother with applying for change of use, and just wait to see if you're ever asked to put in for retrospective planning permission.
If you want to be 100% clear on it, I'd suggest you call the local planning department for advice, and not tell them you're looking at a particular property, just that you're interested in finding a place with stables somewhere within the county.

[mart6]

I purchased stables and land for use as small holding goats
You do not need change of use or planning permission for agricultural use
And100% sure you do not need planning  you can do internal modifications for agricultural use without planning as well

[bj_cardiff]

Its very different once you have a smallholding, my advice is just to do something without asking permission and most of the time there isn't a problem. Once you start seeking advice from planners you can get into all sorts of a pickle.

You'll be amazed at how quickly the stables will fill up.. for the first few months of having my own smallholding I had so much space and far to much grass! These days I don't have enough of each!

[mart6]

Makes no difference if you have already turned it into a small holding or not
Providing its agricultural use you do not need permission

I had a enforcement notice served on other issues and the agricultural use was never questioned
in fact the council enforcement officer and planning officer failed to mention it.
In a hope of making enforcement notice stick

Even claimed i needed planning permission to house my dogs in stables (goat pen)
Planning inspector threw the whole lot out and criticized the council.

The Appellant’s reason for purchasing the property was to enable him to begin rearing goats as a commercial activity, so that the change of use that has occurred since 2013

is from use as stables for horses to an agricultural use for keeping and breeding goats, which does not require a specific grant of planning permission, as this is not development, as confirmed in Section 55 (2) (e) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1980.

“55 (2) The following operations or uses of land shall not be taken for the purposes of this Act to involve development of the land—

(e) the use of any land for the purposes of agriculture or forestry (including afforestation) and the use for any of those purposes of any building occupied together with land so used;”

[clydesdaleclopper]

If you have stables and keep goats they will just be used for goats as your herd expands    I now have 9 goats where my horses used to be.

[Possum]

Unless your brewing and food smoking is for commercial purposes, you do not need to apply for change of use. We use our ex-stables for all the purposes that you have listed as well as a log store. As other people have already said, the space will fill up very quickly!

[kathiejs]

Thanks all, most reassurring.  Reading between the lines I think previous planning spats with the neighbour have been around the neighbour's fears about numbers of people coming to/staying at the property (although not sure why he should care as he wouldn't be directly impacted), so hopefully he won't object to our activities so much.   Especially as he appears to be an actual county councillor now