[RobRob]

1
Have you ever heard of a farm selling 2 to 5 acres off to a smallholder? Is this ever done? I can only see whole farms for sale.

2
I have been told that I can apply for smallholding use of land and place a permanent caravan on the land for 5 years, then apply to build a barn or another structure after the 5 years which would allow another five years of legal caravan use. Is this true?

3
Would there be any chance in hell of getting planning permission to build 6 detached houses on a 10 acre plot and registered as a cooperative smallholding?

[doganjo]

Answer to 3 =- tried in Lanark and just been turned down after considerable expenses trying to get the permission. So no chance here.  May be different where you are.

[RobRob]

Thanks dog,
It's just too natural and good for the environment rather than their back pockets!

[doganjo]

Still talking about Scotland -

Point 1. you used to be able to buy a corner of a field from a farmer and build a house on it - we actually bought such a place in 1988, but it had been built for about 12 years before that.  But the planning regulations are prohibitive now and i doubt if it's possible now.

Point 2 - I would have been allowed a static caravan on my land till I received my completion certificate for the house I built, but there was time limit then came into play and it would have had to be removed withing that time - 3 months I think, with possible extensions if it was bought and had to be sold, rather than just rented.  So in Scotland anyway I think that information must be wrong.

Perhaps if you say what part of the country you are in others may be able to help you better. 

[henchard]

1
Have you ever heard of a farm selling 2 to 5 acres off to a smallholder? Is this ever done? I can only see whole farms for sale.

2
I have been told that I can apply for smallholding use of land and place a permanent caravan on the land for 5 years, then apply to build a barn or another structure after the 5 years which would allow another five years of legal caravan use. Is this true?

3
Would there be any chance in hell of getting planning permission to build 6 detached houses on a 10 acre plot and registered as a cooperative smallholding?

1. Yes but expect to pay a premium over the normal farmland price. Even some farm land in Wales recently made nearly 15K an acre

http://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/125389/452-acre-farm-in-powys-sold-for-6-35-million.aspx

2. In England and Wales the siting of Caravans is covered by the Caravan sites Control of Development Act 1960

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/8-9/62

which requires a site licence; there are some exemptions (such as SEASONAL agricultural work) listed in Schedule 1. To get a site licence you need Planning Permission first.

3. Almost certainly not (in my opinion) in the 'green belt'.

[RobRob]

Excellent help, thank you.

[RobRob]

I am in the West Midlands, I might contact the farms at the end of my road, but I'm guessing they are rented out to farm managers anyway.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Worth contacting any local country estates, they are more likely to have odd pockets of land and awkward shaped fields for modern huge machinery here and there. Plus if as many are they get lots of SFP and are sometimes run by family trusts which get charity status then they are often keen for good PR ESP if if comes into the Green category. You might benefit from that, ESP if you hint that a decent length lease would be a good story for local papers about them supporting small farmers and self sufficiency etc.....:-))

[RobRob]

I like your thinking

[cotswoldfarmer]

I hate to say it but you will be very luck to find a farmer to sell land. Plus they would more than likely put a clawes on the sale stopping any devlopment.

[si-mate]

Most rural estate agents will have small parcels of land on their books, as will auctioneers.


Expect to pay more per acre the smaller the piece of land is.


I believe that in order to get permission to put a residential caravan on agricultural land you will need to prove that you have a profitable enterprise that will continue to be profitable.


Alternatively if you put a caravan on the land and live in it without being challenged for 4 years you can get a certificate of lawful use.

[RobRob]

Thank you everybody!
I will be doing lots of homework from now on.
And convincing my family it's a great idea, although with a child on the way it might delay my plans

[stufe35]

There is a book telling you how to achieve what si mate has mentioned.  I forget its name but someone on here will know.

[RobRob]

That book is what I want to read. Does anyone know what it is?

[lachlanandmarcus]

It's Field to Farm I think, but just check that it has been update to reflect the changes in government planning policy recently which have significantly changed local authority approaches to development in some scenarios.


In general, the easiest way to have a good chance of getting PP in the countryside by far is if there is some kind of structure there already, a derelict building of some type. LAs are generally amenable to these being used as/replaced by a dwelling under the new policy. Eg we have a ruined cottage in a field and under the old policy we would only if at all have been able to get PP for a holiday only let place as its a big tourism area, not as a permanent dwelling, but since the changes we applied for and got PP for it to be a permanent dwelling.


Good luck