Grants for holiday cottages
- Thread starter prany
- Start date
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
We've used previous versions of the scheme, the current version is LEADER funding and I think the page you want is here.
It is region specific so different areas have different priorities but generally holiday lets etc are widely supported. It would be unusual for you to need paid help to complete an application too as the local contact for LEADER funding will help you quite a bit.
It is region specific so different areas have different priorities but generally holiday lets etc are widely supported. It would be unusual for you to need paid help to complete an application too as the local contact for LEADER funding will help you quite a bit.
dannewhouse
Member
- Location
- huddersfield
is there anything like this funding available in Yorkshire? I'm looking at some stone buildings turning them into 2 houses and 2 bungalows ideally to rent out longer term but holiday lets could be an option especially if funding available?
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
I'm fairly sure it's available across the whole of England; it used to be done on a regional basis (East Midlands etc) but they've in theory made the funding more targeted to local needs and priorities (defined by them rather than locals of course) instead.
I think the South Pennines scheme covers you; click on the About > Local Priorities tab to see what the aims for your local area are. Holiday lets are likely to satisfy several different aspects within your area I'd think but check the map (About > What area do we cover) to see where the boundaries are as they intentionally avoid major urban areas - this is bound to collect up a few urban fringe farms too.
I think the South Pennines scheme covers you; click on the About > Local Priorities tab to see what the aims for your local area are. Holiday lets are likely to satisfy several different aspects within your area I'd think but check the map (About > What area do we cover) to see where the boundaries are as they intentionally avoid major urban areas - this is bound to collect up a few urban fringe farms too.
s line
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire uk
I could do with a grant to take the family on a summer holiday in August!!
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
If it makes you more competitive in the future you may be in with a shout!
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
1 thing to bear in mind, i think if you are running a business that is vat registered and get a grant, it will mean you might incur more costs to be able to get the grant by reaching a certain spec, and you will have to charge vat on the rental, so if this is going to be a long term thing might be worth just going it alone, as to be around the same cost as other holiday lets etc, the price will include vat, and that will be to pay back
dannewhouse
Member
- Location
- huddersfield
it literally only just doesn't cover me! I'm a bit east of the centre of Huddersfield which it covers
- Location
- South Wales UK
Usually not worth the bother.
Can not claim if you have started.
Don't pay you anything with your labour but will pay rip off builder ?
Takes time and costing works from footing to chandileras.
If over a certain amount usually got to get 3 Tenders with all that demands.
Often tied or got to monitor for year's after so ALL that shines ant Gold .
Can not claim if you have started.
Don't pay you anything with your labour but will pay rip off builder ?
Takes time and costing works from footing to chandileras.
If over a certain amount usually got to get 3 Tenders with all that demands.
Often tied or got to monitor for year's after so ALL that shines ant Gold .
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
In our experience it is worth it; depends upon your attitude to the scheme though I guess. Can fully understand them not paying for started projects as they want to judge suitability before you begin which seems reasonable to me.
The labour bit I guess depends upon the scheme rules (I'm not familiar with the latest one) but we've been able to put in for some elements in the past, depends a bit on the arrangements.
You really should be costing a project before you begin anyway but often they are looking for illustrative costs with final claims being backed up by invoices, again not too onerous really.
3 tenders is straight forward and you don't have to choose the cheapest, just justify the choice you've made if you decide to use any of them. Sometimes you can use these costs to justify doing works yourself but best to discuss this with the LEADER contact to see if it's possible.
Monitoring is very straight forward too, we've had two phone calls in the last 6 years for our latest one.
40% of a project cost is usually worth jumping through a few hoops for.
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
I'd have a word with them, there may be a way around it somehow. Also check the neighbouring scheme in case the boundary of that covers you instead.
dannewhouse
Member
- Location
- huddersfield
where do I find a neighbouring scheme? I think that's the biggest problem with these grants poor advertisement/you have to go hunting for them and know where to hunt?
do you have a number/contact that's some use or just the one on the website?
dannewhouse
Member
- Location
- huddersfield
what did you get your leader approval based on? farm diversification? (if you don't mind me asking what sort of price range was it pm if you prefer)
I think I'm wanting a lot more than they seem to want to give? I'm thinking/calculated that it will cost me 200k to convert my barns into the 2 houses 2 bungalows I plan but will they give me 40% of this or do I split it down to 4 x 50k so they give me 4 x 20k?
I can't get the "magic" map to work for boundaries but I'm like in between the "east peak" and "south Pennines" I'm further west then the east peak smaller map shows and further east than the south Pennines but on the big map they but up to each other?
who the hell created these random areas I don't know what's harder than towns or county's? does it matter if 1 person covers 2 or 3 towns?
I think I'm wanting a lot more than they seem to want to give? I'm thinking/calculated that it will cost me 200k to convert my barns into the 2 houses 2 bungalows I plan but will they give me 40% of this or do I split it down to 4 x 50k so they give me 4 x 20k?
I can't get the "magic" map to work for boundaries but I'm like in between the "east peak" and "south Pennines" I'm further west then the east peak smaller map shows and further east than the south Pennines but on the big map they but up to each other?
who the hell created these random areas I don't know what's harder than towns or county's? does it matter if 1 person covers 2 or 3 towns?
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
Have a look here, there are links to quite a few of the areas around you and I assume some may have boundaries that run up to each other. No idea how they come up with their definitions though, I think they basically ignore major urban areas (presumably using a really thick marker pen to draw around them after a few beers) and try to include the rest; beyond that it's a bit of a mystery.
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
I've just got back from a few beers at the pub quiz so apologies if this post needs work, I'll fix it in the morning if it does.
For holiday lets in the South Pennines I'd think you'd tick the national targets of Increasing Farm Productivity, Support for Farm Diversification and Support for Rural Tourism aims along with local targets of Developing Green Access Infrastructure (electric car charging point at the cottages), developing South Pennines Tourism Network, Diversifying Farm Income and possibly Developing Activities that will assist with Succession too.
Remember ticking lots of these will help in competitive funding situations and the quality of the application will go a long way to the assistance offered. The money is there to help rural businesses, there is nothing wrong with working to meet as many criteria as possible and if you do anything it is always best to aim to be the best at it in your area. I say this as that was our aim when we first opened in 2001 but we've seen some serious competition open locally in the last few years, again on the back of similar funding. If you do a half arsed job now it'll catch up with you very quickly.
I'm happy to discuss our experiences via PM if it helps unless you farm near me
foxbox
Member
- Location
- West Northants
I'd do 40% of 200k; it's a bigger project and therefore more worthy of support. It's also more likely to provide units of labour (maybe you'll need 0.3 people to cut the grass therefore providing a local part time job as opposed to 4x 0.07 jobs or whatever) and limit weird commitments too; we had to provide cycle storage for our visitors (a secure shed on the farm) but it's never been used, I wouldn't want to have to do that 4 times for 4 different applications.....