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Author Topic: Polytunnel Questions  (Read 5853 times)

ambriel

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Kinlochbervie, NW Sutherland, Scotland
  • Mad, bad, and dangerous to know!
    • Harbour Cottage
Polytunnel Questions
« on: February 15, 2011, 10:42:12 pm »

We've been meaning to get a greenhouse for a while now but more recently I've been thinking a polytunnel might be a better option.

Q1. Am I likely to get more grief from the planning people for a polytunnel than I would for a similarly sized greenhouse - not talking massive here, maybe 4-5m sq.

Q2. How secure is a polytunnel? We have Kune Kunes and if they managed to get into the same area would they go through it like a hot knife through butter or would the skin keep them out?

Sorry if these are daft questions - I seem to have a plentiful supply :)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2011, 11:45:54 pm »
Hi, Can't help with the planning part.  The polythene for tunnels is surprisingly strong.  You could lean your whole weight against it without a problem.  However, it can be cut - a cheeky Jacob cut a neat doorway in the side of ours years ago using his horns, so he and his chums could demolish some brassicas growing inside.  The patch has lasted for years without the hole getting any bigger, although we change the patch itself every couple of years.  Canes will puncture the polythene too, but are easily repaired with the appropriate tape.  We had a couple of Tamworth gilts turning over the garden next to the tunnel for a whole winter one year and they didn't damage it, but I wouldn't like to say that the KKs would be as disinterested  :pig:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

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manian

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2011, 07:36:27 am »
i know this sounds a bit silly answer
i think it depends on the type of polytunnel you get

we've been looking about and some that seem a bargain are not as thick etc

we are waiting for our polytunnel (12ftx20ft to arrive) in the end we went for first tunnels on their fb page comments about their aftersales seem good............but the proof in the pudding!!!!!!!!

good luck
Mx :farmer:

ambriel

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Kinlochbervie, NW Sutherland, Scotland
  • Mad, bad, and dangerous to know!
    • Harbour Cottage
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2011, 11:43:29 am »

Thanks, I guess it's as long as it's broad...

We get some very strong gales up our way and I don't think a cheap greenhouse would survive long. Last thing I'd want is lots of broken glass or polycarbonate littering the place.

I'll do some more research on polytunnels, and take a look at the F/B page you mention. Might give the planners a call, too.

manian

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2011, 01:46:10 pm »
heres a link to it
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Polytunnels
Mx

Bluebell

  • Joined Apr 2008
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2011, 08:24:53 pm »
Not sure if this is good advice or not.  We had a huge battle trying to get planning for a polytunnel and we even went to appeal and lost on the grounds of its visual appearance in the countryside.  We had consulted with a planning officer first who indicated that it probably wouldn't be a problem as long as it was hidden behind the buildings. However, it went to the planning committee and they refused it. Many people told us afterwards that we should have put it up and gone for retrospective planning if anyone said anything.  We have just noticed a good sized polytunnel recently erected on land approximately 500m up the road from us and they didn't even bother going for planning.  Its hard to know what to do for the best isn't it but if I was doing it again I would definitely just go ahead and get one.
 ???

Cinderhills

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2011, 08:27:10 pm »
Good to know Bluebell.  It's crazy that you try and do the right thing and you suffer for it. 

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2011, 08:38:02 pm »
when we had the crossed swords with planning
we went for retrospective planning for the shed this was granted then they told us you need planning for the sign on the gable end facing the road permission refused went to appeal and won it we photographed all the signage in a radius not one of them had planning

ambriel

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Kinlochbervie, NW Sutherland, Scotland
  • Mad, bad, and dangerous to know!
    • Harbour Cottage
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2011, 12:06:05 pm »

So often the case, isn't it? Had a similar problem when I asked them about putting a caravan on our garden in the same spot the previous owners had one. They said "No, planning was required". Luckily I had photographic proof showing there'd been a caravan on the same spot for the last thirty years so they backed down and said ok, but if I wanted to put another one there then planning would be needed.

We're close to a harbour which has a huge metal blister barn - when I talked to the planners last the guy commented that pretty much anything we did would only be an improvement on what was visible already.

morri2

  • Joined Jun 2008
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2011, 12:15:35 pm »
Is planning permission needed for a polytunnel??  ??? :o Does it depend on size? :

We've just had a 10'x18' tunnel delivered - site cleared (hard work!!) ready to put it up - nobody said anything about planning when we ordered it?  We've just built a block and render garage with seriously deep foundations and a pit - that did need planning permission!  Surely it must be down to size and there's a maximum size limit under which the tunnels are exempt?

I suppose it also depends which local authority you're dealing with too.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2011, 12:49:39 pm »
We had agricultural PP for ours, but it is commercial size and sits on Section 75 (=agricultural only) land. We had no problems. If you use metal foot plates rather than concreting in the supports the tunnel cannot be classified as permanent, and it can be moved if required (with loads of digging...)

Caroline - yours sounds actually not that big, I would just go for it, plant a willow hedge or similar fast growing if it is visible from the road. And you are not in a National Park or similar?

But it is hit-n-miss with planning authorities at the moment, here they are falling over themselves to grant ANYTHING at the moment, just to keep themselves in a job....

ambriel

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Kinlochbervie, NW Sutherland, Scotland
  • Mad, bad, and dangerous to know!
    • Harbour Cottage
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2011, 02:35:55 pm »

I had a chat with a guy at the planning department earlier today and he was very helpful.

Planning not required so long as:

1. >20m from any road
2. >5m from house;
3. <3m high (4m if pitched roof);
4. occupies <15% of garden area;

So far as they're concerned there is no difference between a greenhouse and a polytunnel, for planning purposes.

I'm going to email over a site plan with the likely locations marked and he's going to come back to me with a yea or nae. Very helpful guy - he'll never last :)


OhLaLa

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2011, 02:43:34 pm »
The polytunnel covering I have is opaque and reinforced, it has a green 'cross weave' of fine nylon from left to right inside the actual plastic so even if a bit tears it will stop about after about a centimeter as the weave is close together. I haven't seen it sold as part of a complete kit but might be worth finding out about.

Blonde

  • Joined Mar 2011
Re: Polytunnel Questions
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2011, 03:01:57 am »

We've been meaning to get a greenhouse for a while now but more recently I've been thinking a polytunnel might be a better option.

Q1. Am I likely to get more grief from the planning people for a polytunnel than I would for a similarly sized greenhouse - not talking massive here, maybe 4-5m sq.

Q2. How secure is a polytunnel? We have Kune Kunes and if they managed to get into the same area would they go through it like a hot knife through butter or would the skin keep them out?

Sorry if these are daft questions - I seem to have a plentiful supply :)
There is another answer in one of the ohter threads on poly tunnel....that is worth a look before you decide what to do.

 

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