The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Buildings & planning => Topic started by: Dookie on November 04, 2019, 11:55:39 am

Title: Unauthorised grain silo
Post by: Dookie on November 04, 2019, 11:55:39 am
Hello ... I think I may have posted on here before, so this is to update, but please forgive me if I'm repeating old stuff...

I purchased a piece of land of just under an acre. It's on green belt but is PDL (previously developed land) as it has a building on it-an old pumping station. The land was first developed 100 years ago, and was previously agricultural. The surrounding land is all agricultural.

The building was granted B1 permission, so can be used as an office or similar. I started work to install services and WC connected to a treatment plant, etc.

Wnat I'd really like to do is ask the planning dept for a change of use to a live/work artists studio.  I also need storage space for tools, etc., as I manage the land as a nature reserve, so I've put up a grain silo.
Stupidly, I didn't get planning permission for this, so of course, the planning enforcement officers have been round a couple of times in the past year or so. Nothing in writing, but they have told me verbally that I'd need to get retrospective planning permission.
At the same time, they told me that it would never be granted as it's greenbelt land.

They also mentioned that the B1 permission will lapse soon... I'm a bit confused about this as I've done the work which was a condition of that PP, such as laying a drive & creating the parking spaces, as well as installing services...

Now I'm wondering if putting in for retrospective is going to be a waste of time & money... I live on a very small income, so I don't have lots of money to spare...

I remember someone saying I'd be better off just waiting for an enforcement notice and appealing that.

Does anyone think this is good advice, please?

Kind regards, Dookie.