Author Topic: pony planning (Read 6989 times)

shetlandpaul · « **on:** February 23, 2011, 08:18:00 pm »

Shetland islands council have just decided that a crofter needs consent to keep a pony on there land. they were keeping it in an old container and there neighbour complained. they moved it and place rubber down. the scouncil decided that they needed planning to change use. this was just a field not used as a horse arena. they were also ordered to tarmac there field entrance onto the road. the field slopes away from the road.
this could have a very bad impact on pony breeding in shetland tying in with the massive increase in the stud books fees.

Hermit · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2011, 07:26:46 am »

They bring this argument up every few years, as I said in an earlier post best to do things by the book then you dont come unstuck. It only takes one person to bring it to the fore. The council is worried about the overgrazing and trampling up that is happening in the islands by the volume breeders. The tarmac entrance ways to domestic fields has been in place for a while. The stud book fees going up are a good thing I think as so many folk have jumped on the bandwagon after seeing the big studs have pony sales up to 14 thousand for a stallion, the stud book need to whittle out these folk to keep the breed true and strong or have strong criteria to meet and regular inspections as the Shetland sheep flock book do. The pony sales crashed this year due to crap and volume, most ponies were left on the island unsold leading to SSPCA matters with feed going up and no small bale straw since October at my merchants. The Shetland pony in Shetland does need to be checked at the moment for its own good. We have some of the biggest breeders as our neighbours Paul, I am sure they will be watching the outcome in case they have to apply for planning but it is only a couple of hundred quid and retrospective. I wonder if it comes to it how many will apply or sell to the Safari Park buyers for lion meat. I personally dont fuss about planning for pure grazing fields but stables and containers etc are different.

Hermit · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2011, 07:46:33 am »

An afterthought..... Do you think the council are looking at the money all these planning permission costs are going to bring in? I dont think this will die a death this time. I have had two studs put ponies on my land to get off theirs for planning issues in the last seven years it is an on going argument and needs to be sorted one way or the other but I think to boost the council coffers? easy money.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2011, 09:22:22 am »

yes i do. there is no way that we are planning to breed any for the next few years as you say there is no market.
it is wrong to breed for breeding sake but just imagine what they could stick on us all if they start looking closely at every croft. a big change from the past. ours did not have planning or building regs for the poach/toilet or kitchen. they only issued it when we bought the place. think of every shed store or container that they could make us get planning on.

Hermit · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2011, 10:46:52 am »

Surely that would have been checked when Dave bought the place before you. Just shows what a mockery it all is. Some of the biggest new sheds by me have no planning but they stopped the little croft at the junction having a toilet put in for years cause it would have caused some trees to be pulled down! Money talks.

sabrina · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2011, 11:23:16 am »

Round here if you have friends on the council you get away with anything

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2011, 05:31:19 pm »

very much the same up here.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2011, 05:37:19 pm »

Quote from: Hermit on February 24, 2011, 07:46:33 am

An afterthought..... Do you think the council are looking at the money all these planning permission costs are going to bring in? I dont think this will die a death this time. I have had two studs put ponies on my land to get off theirs for planning issues in the last seven years it is an on going argument and needs to be sorted one way or the other but I think to boost the council coffers? easy money.

all i know is that the mansfields had to get the building regs folks in and get retro consent. same with the septic tank. david never got the apportement transfered when he bought it. caused a years delay in getting it switched and added a fair bit to the bill.
funny how things change. some sheds are obviously needed and some i guess are used for other non farming activities. i would love a small shed but it looks like it will have to be bodged out of ply and pallets.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2011, 06:38:50 pm »

So Shetland council haven't changed their views much in the last 200 years then

I've been finding out about native Scottish pigs lately, the last breed to become extinct in Scotland was the Grice http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grice_(extinct_pig) and it did so because the Shetland Island council imposed a fine of £10 to the owners if their grice got out (think small and even feistier wild boar, so not an easy animal to contain) Now a £10 fine might not seem much, but this was way back in the 1800's !
Councils need to get a grip and think about our native and rare breeds - if they go, no amount of money will ever bring them back ! There ARE more important things than money in this world

Sorry, I know this doesn't relate to ponies and current day, but I thought it might be interesting to know (and a useful arguement if you were to take the council on

)
Karen x

robert waddell · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2011, 06:55:32 pm »

now i may be wrong on this but does shettland isles council not get millions from the oil terminal that is supposed to preserve the island way of life

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2011, 08:23:36 pm »

they did in the 1980s. most is with a charitable trust so not council. the oil companies conned the council into thinking they were going to leave.
shetland islands council is very poor at managing anything.
the grice was a wee horrid beesty. not a family friendly pet.

HappyHippy · « **Reply #11 on:** February 24, 2011, 09:04:44 pm »

But it goes to show the power that councils have when it comes to affecting farming/livestock - how many of them actually know/care about the plight of our native breeds ?

Hermit · « **Reply #12 on:** February 24, 2011, 09:39:24 pm »

The modern Shetland pony is not a native breed in my opinion , the old Shetland croft ponies were larger and finer enough to take a viking to war! the modern ponies are pit ponies,a relatively modern development. Shetlanders are famous for making things exinct if you read old news reports about wildlife ,or have Bonxie shooters running across your land and then hear them talking wildlife to tourists.Agghhhh (HE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO ME SINCE AFTER A TOUNGE LASHING FROM A WIFEY!)

But rant over , the fact is that ponies need planning by law all over the country and 99.9% of folks are not bothered that a field has a pony or a sheep on but one jobsworth is all it takes. I wonder if though Paul, cause it was Gulberwick and earmarked as a suburb of Lerwick any trouble with land may make it worth while selling to the council.I would not put anything passed this mafia , sorry council. As said especially in Shetland get it in writing that you are ok. This matter does need sorting , there is too much grey.(If only to save my fences from another displaced stud!)