[MJ1973]

Looking at few new house options with land and 90% have a barn or stables (or both) on agri land. I want to use an outbuilding as a home gym and I realise that converting a barn to something that looks like a Leisure Centre won't fly! But if its still looks exactly like a barn from outside but inside is a gym.....does anyone care?

In fact - what can even be done about it? Some we have seen are quite modern metal framed barns that with some rubber floor, lighting and maybe some simple insulation are good to go - have I not just made a very cosy barn That I happen to store my squat rack in!

Or does someone turn up and force me to move my rowing machine out (which would be daft because if they did I would be forced to use regular permitted development to build a home gym on the garden within the properties proper curtlige -so simply additional unnecessary building)

[SallyintNorth]

Well a gym isn't agricultural but if you don't change its ability to be used for agriculture, who would care?  (Planners do not go out looking for problems.)

However, things like insulating or - my pet hate - occluding ventilation eg., by cladding open sides, would impact its ability to be used for agricultural use. 

But the same thing applies, planners do not go out looking for contraventions, it would need someone to report it for the planners to look into it.  (True wherever I've lived in England, and I doubt anywhere else can afford for planning officers to go out looking for contraventions either.) 

[doganjo]

Well a gym isn't agricultural but if you don't change its ability to be used for agriculture, who would care?  (Planners do not go out looking for problems.)

However, things like insulating or - my pet hate - occluding ventilation eg., by cladding open sides, would impact its ability to be used for agricultural use. 

But the same thing applies, planners do not go out looking for contraventions, it would need someone to report it for the planners to look into it.  (True wherever I've lived in England, and I doubt anywhere else can afford for planning officers to go out looking for contraventions either.)

Absolutely, they depend on nosey and jealous neighbours to do it for them! 

[Bywaters]

Don't forget, planning development rules are said to have been relaxed, very recently

I don't know the details but worth a look

[Fleecewife]

When we have wanted to do anything which just might possibly interest the planners, then we have phoned them to ask.  Twice this has led to a visit from a very pleasant planning officer and a positive outcome.  In fact on the second visit we were asked 'is there anything else you want to do while I'm here?'  All very friendly and helpful.  We have a neighbour who tries various ways to make life difficult for us, so in our case it's best to be on the safe side.
For buying a house, I would check carefully the precise wording and classification of any outbuilding before assuming you would get away with using it as a gym.  After all, you won't know your neighbours until you move in!

[Womble]

If this is a home gym for your own use (i.e. you're not selling memberships), I'd just get on with it.

There's currently a boat in our barn and nobody has yet told me I need to apply for a change of use.

[SallyintNorth]

There's currently a boat in our barn and nobody has yet told me I need to apply for a change of use.

I think there are a lot of boats in barns around the countryside!  lol.  When I arrived at Trelay, we stored my fleece stash in one of the boats stored in our big barn...   

[Fleecewife]

There's currently a boat in our barn and nobody has yet told me I need to apply for a change of use.

I think there are a lot of boats in barns around the countryside!  lol.  When I arrived at Trelay, we stored my fleece stash in one of the boats stored in our big barn...   

Beware!  I stored a fleece stash inside a Landrover many years ago.  When I came to check it, the rats had moved in and destroyed the interior of the vehicle as well as ruining the fleeces.