The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Buildings & planning => Topic started by: BrambleFox on June 30, 2019, 10:35:44 pm
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Can anyone advise? Looking to buy a house which comes with a 0.4 acre plot of green belt land which is outside of the curtilage of the house.
Land was originally part of farm estate which is now a probate sale and is being divvied up into smaller parcels. All land was originally agri and equestrian use but hasn't been worked or had horses on it for 20yrs.
The plot is too small for a horse so I'd like to have a small section for growing fruit/veg and keeping hens and have rest as meadow with fruit trees. Would I need planning permission for keeping hens (e.g. chicken coop, run etc) and for growing fruit veg for domestic use?
Would I have a strong case for change of use to residential if plot is too small for horse and hasn't been used in this way for 20 years?
TIA
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You certainly don't need planning permission for keeping a few chickens or planting trees, fruit or veg for your own use. Your chicken coops will be movable and not big enough to need permission.
Change of use for a residential building is a different matter. I think it is unlikely but there may well be others with more knowledge than me.
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Thanks very much for reply! That's good news, I very much want to play within the rules, but it's hard to even find out what they are!
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0.4 of an acre is a small area and I'd just use it for what you intended (extension of your garden) and see if you have any objection. When you start asking councils about change of use or generally alert their attention to something you may find you've shot yourself in the foot!
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If you wanna use to plant fruit trees, grow vegetables, keep some chickens etc you are doing exactly what it was intended for - agriculture, albeit on small scale.
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Ahhh thanks so much for your replies! It's sounding positive, so we're gonna put an offer in! Fingers crossed that hopefully later in the year, I can start posting on here regularly with questions about getting started! ????
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Can anyone tell me if this is standard practice? Put final offer in on house today - still waiting to hear back, but seller's EA told me that they had sent a copy of offer letter to her solicitor. Is this standard practice? In Miss Marple mode and trying to work out if that sounds positive for the offer being accepted. ???
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If the land is part of a probate sale then I'd have expected offer details to be referred to the solicitor and/or executors as standard practice. Keep your fingers crossed and good luck :-)
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Ahhh OK, thanks for that, makes sense. Still waiting to hear back, so hoping that it might be good news as they haven't dismissed it outright. ????