[Bionic]

I think there is mixed advice about whether pp is required or not but as I like to do things by the book I decided to do the right thing and ask the local council office.
I sent an email on 4th Jan. They responded same day with the name of the person who would be dealing with the query and the time frame within which I would receive a reply (10 business days).
Todate I haven't heard from them. I have tried phoning the person in question and he always seems to be out of the office.
So much for being law abiding 

[Tala Orchard]

Planning permission is normally required for a commercial polytunnel a normal household size one you do not require it. If you holding is over 5ha you can apply for the tunnel under permitted development provided you have not undertaken any building with in 90 meters of the proposed site within the last 2 yrs.

If you have less then 5ha then you will need full planning permission.

However if the proposed site is within the boundary of you garden and it is not commercial polytunnel or a large domestic size one then no PP is needed  as they are normally free standing. If you are going to concrete in the base of even a small polytunnel this may be classed as development and may well require PP but you will need to check with your local planning office.

WE applied for PP under permitted development for ours and had no problems our is a commercial one 30ft by 100ft  asnd now after 2 yrs find that it is not enough.

Hope this helps.

Tala

[Bionic]

Thanks Tala

[manian]

it also depends on curtalage etc
we have to pay to ask advice on planning now...
our polytunnel is an average one at 20x14
could do with more

[HesterF]

No use on polytunnels but we were due to receive a planning decision on our planning application 3 weeks ago (target decision date 8 weeks after application, now 11 weeks on and ticking). We know they had no objections from the neighbours and the parish council gave a big thumbs up and there didn't seem to be any major problems when they came for the site visit but still no decision. Ho hum.

H

[Mammyshaz]

Your situation is probably way out of my situation, hope this helps to some degree 

I contacted our council for our allotment ( garden at the back of the house ) and was told they hadn't classified them yet so brought them under greenhouse regs 12ft x 10ft max.

 The councillor for allotments could not give a proper classification so I guess I could have fought a bigger unit. She did, however, talk me through the regulations and what I could have and what was definitely not allowed. I think each council borough must have their own regs, this may be true for private or agricultural  land too, so I would keep on the good side and make contact with the respective councillor. I have found them more helpful if you try to stay within the regulations and sort things out in person or speaking to them.

[henchard]

But it is in Carmarthenshire and the Council seems to be in a world of its own


see


http://carmarthenplanning.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/another-planning-problem.html


the blog is by a rather brave lady who has single handedly been trying to expose the Council. The blog is an eye opening read.

[Bionic]

Thats interesting henchard.
 
Strange but having written my rant on here I received a response (perhaps the planners are TAS members)
quote
Polytunnels are temporary structures however, in order to be considered temporary (and thereby not require planning permission) they would need to not be located on the spot for more than 28 days in the year. If the intention is to permanently situate the polytunnel on the site then it will need to be justified for agriculture or forestry purposes.
unquote
Anyone here take their polytunnel down for 28 days?

[Tala Orchard]

It just goes to show that some people working in LPA's have no idea of how things work, from the answer they seem to have mixed up two different parts of the legislation, firstly there is no requirement for temporary structures to be moved every 28 days or to be taken down if that were so then all the field shelters would be rolling round the countryside like Webbles. As for raising and lowering a polytunnel that is just laughable  .

Who in their right mind would dream up such an answer.

But on a serious note if you have a large holding and you are going to not only feed your family  but others from your polytunnel I would put in a Permitted Developement Application cost £80.00. As it is necessary to agriculture and is part of your horticultural business.

Tala

[Bionic]

Tala, we only have 2.35 acres so definitely not large. I would use the poly tunnel for veg for us and any animals i.e. pigs when we get our next weaners.

[lachlanandmarcus]

It just goes to show that some people working in LPA's have no idea of how things work, from the answer they seem to have mixed up two different parts of the legislation, firstly there is no requirement for temporary structures to be moved every 28 days or to be taken down if that were so then all the field shelters would be rolling round the countryside like Webbles. As for raising and lowering a polytunnel that is just laughable  .

Who in their right mind would dream up such an answer.

But on a serious note if you have a large holding and you are going to not only feed your family  but others from your polytunnel I would put in a Permitted Developement Application cost £80.00. As it is necessary to agriculture and is part of your horticultural business.

Tala

Some councils do indeed require temp structures (mainly horse field shelters) to be moved regularly and in the most extreme cases every 28 days. In some cases they even cannot return to the same place twice.


However that is mainly cos they don't want them there at all. Other structures are usually deemed temporary unless they are concreted in/on a concrete base, ESP if like a poly tunnel they have a finite life without maintenance.

[smiley bucket]

I've had the tunnel frame up for almost a year without any problems from planners so far, but it doesn't have a cover on it yet as its not fenced off from the ponies, its sixty feet long and 24 ft wide (and i have the grumpiest neighbour ever!)

[Fowgill Farm]

I've had the tunnel frame up for almost a year without any problems from planners so far, but it doesn't have a cover on it yet as its not fenced off from the ponies, its sixty feet long and 24 ft wide (and i have the grumpiest neighbour ever!)

Diito size except ours is fully covered and been up for 6yrs, never applied for planning and even when the planners came to see about the shed they never commented on it! Unfortunaely you're on their radar now so you can't put one up and plead ignorance to the rules
mandy

[bazzais]

Dont ever mention to the planners you want it to house animals

[Bionic]

Baz, thanks for the advice but I don't intend to house animals in it. Although now that you have mentioned it