The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Buildings & planning => Topic started by: Shinding on July 12, 2016, 11:29:54 am

Title: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: Shinding on July 12, 2016, 11:29:54 am: Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone could tell me what use class a registered smallholding is? We are currently buying a family home with 4.5 acres of land which is already registered as a smallholding even though there are no animals, or foods of any kind being grown, at present.

We want to start a small glamping site on the land and need to know if there would be a change of use involved or are they both sui generis (general use)?

Many thanks.
Title: Re: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: greenbeast on July 13, 2016, 09:15:59 pm: Is there actually such a legal thing as a 'smallholding'??

Isn't it equine, residential, agricultural, etc... ?
Title: Re: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: Shinding on July 15, 2016, 12:41:48 pm: That's what our conveyancers have informed us!!
Title: Re: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: Hellybee on July 15, 2016, 07:45:14 pm: Speak to your local council. We have five yurts here plus campsite. We don't call it glamping though. We provide a clean elegant space with fab views and great facilities. We are a licensed campsite.
Title: Re: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: Womble on July 15, 2016, 11:48:34 pm: Quote from: Shinding on July 15, 2016, 12:41:48 pm
That's what our conveyancers have informed us!!

On what basis? Just because the land has a CPH (County/Parish/Holding registration number)? It would be worth clarifying with them why they classified it so, and what exactly that means wrt what you can or can't do.
Title: Re: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: Shinding on July 16, 2016, 09:33:40 pm: We had to change our conveyancers because of it and pay almost double the fees just because the estate agents and one of the searches came back that it was a registered smallholding!!
Title: Re: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: Backinwellies on July 17, 2016, 07:56:54 am: Cant see what difference it makes .... someone 'in-the-know please explain . .... Or are you in Scotland where it is all different?
Title: Re: Smallholding to glamping business 'use classes'
Post by: Womble on July 17, 2016, 08:34:21 am: Is it because it then becomes the sale of a business in their eyes, rather than just a residential property perhaps?

When we bought (in Scotland), our solicitor did charge more than for a standard sale. However, that's because the age and condition of the house, and the need to verify boundaries made more work for them (we only bought half of what the vendor owned, so the land ownership records had to be split up). There wasn't anything complex because it was a smallholding though, and we did the transfer of the CPH ourselves.