Building a log cabin for residential use on our own agricultural land - likely to get permission?

plonkythedonkey · Aug 3, 2021

Does anyone know if this is likely to be allowed? (before I pay up the £285 for pre-app advice). We moved into a farmhouse with mother-in-law 2 years ago but after 20 years in my own home elsewhere I'm finding it very hard-going not having my own private territory, and the relationship between MIL and myself is deteriorating

. There is 200 acres of farmland currently rented out (mix of arable and cattle) including a small patch of land on the other side of the farmyard which has been unused for many years and would be ideal for building our own log cabin on to enable separate living for me and my family. There is the possibility of renting it out for holiday lets in the future but in all honesty for the next few years I'd want it for myself and my family to live in, while we can still be onsite to help look after MIL.

Does anyone know if we have any chance of being granted permission for a log cabin for residential use on (unused) agricultural land? It's not near any neighbours or boundary and has its own driveway leading to the land area.

Many thanks in advance. Hoping and praying this may be the answer to my prayers and mental health!!

Steevo · Aug 4, 2021

Think you’ll be struggling with that. The planners dislike building dwellings in open countryside.

That said, if things are as bad as you suggest, most people would pay the money for the advise regardless even if they were likely to be told “no”.

Or would be moving out and renting/buying somewhere else. It would be the most immediate solution in theory….even planning permission and a log cabin would probably take six months. I appreciate there are likely other factors in play however.

Flatlander · Aug 4, 2021

If you were able to build the said log cabin and live there for a number of years would the resale value be in it if you decided to sell it due to the fact your in a moist environment for the large part of the year. I re years ago a friend wanted to by a wooded house in Berkshire close to his home with his parents. Very cheap type of house but well built. Couldn’t get a mortgage fir it as it wasn’t deemed to be long term enough to have value towards the end of the mortgage. Here a log cabin would be very sort after.

Scholsey · Aug 4, 2021

What do you mean a log cabin, it’s called a portable log sledge cabin......

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

Hmm, I had a feeling it might be problematic.

The other alternative (probably more realistic) is a smaller unit like a Shepherd's Hut, or even could be a small cabin, that I could use during the days for my work and leisure, use to have friends over for coffee (my own place!), occasional sleeps and also possibly holiday lets, but still have the farmhouse as the main dwelling.

Would this be more favourably looked upon? I will be paying for the pre-app advice anyway, just hoping to get an initial feeling of likelihood.

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

Flatlander said:
If you were able to build the said log cabin and live there for a number of years would the resale value be in it if you decided to sell it due to the fact your in a moist environment for the large part of the year. I re years ago a friend wanted to by a wooded house in Berkshire close to his home with his parents. Very cheap type of house but well built. Couldn’t get a mortgage fir it as it wasn’t deemed to be long term enough to have value towards the end of the mortgage. Here a log cabin would be very sort after.

When you say resale, do you mean to actually sell the structure off-site? We would mean to always keep it there, maybe use it for holiday lets and family/friends stay. It wouldn't be a big structure, max 2 bedrooms.

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

Steevo said:
Think you’ll be struggling with that. The planners dislike building dwellings in open countryside.

That said, if things are as bad as you suggest, most people would pay the money for the advise regardless even if they were likely to be told “no”.

Or would be moving out and renting/buying somewhere else. It would be the most immediate solution in theory….even planning permission and a log cabin would probably take six months. I appreciate there are likely other factors in play however.

Hmm, I had a feeling it might be problematic.

The other alternative (probably more realistic) is a smaller unit like a Shepherd's Hut, or even could be a small cabin, that I could use during the days for my work and leisure, use to have friends over for coffee (my own place!), occasional sleeps and also possibly holiday lets, but still have the farmhouse as the main dwelling.

Would this be more favourably looked upon? I will be paying for the pre-app advice anyway, just hoping to get an initial feeling of likelihood.

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

I think what I'm after is to know what can I get away with doing? What should I say I'm intending to do on the pre-application in order for them to say it would be accepted? In reality, my family are all fine living here, it's just me, I just need somewhere I can call my own to go to, have my own garden area to hang out etc, but I would be ok with not living in it (have to been here to look after the children

after all!)

How about something less like a dwelling and more like a leisure building that would be sometimes used by me, sometimes used as a holiday let?

I apologise for all the questions. I just need some hope! Will probably be doing the pre-application this weekend and not sure what to aim for...

tepapa · Aug 4, 2021

Sounds like you need a caravan.

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

tepapa said:
Sounds like you need a caravan.

I'd much prefer a shepherds hut or cabin

Dry Rot · Aug 4, 2021

But you need an extra building for a farm worker to live on site, don't you?

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

Dry Rot said:
But you need an extra building for a farm worker to live on site, don't you?

We're not working on the farm, my MIL rents the land out. We've just moved up to help her maintain house/outbuildings and with the hope of setting up some enterprising businesses in the future.

Tubbylew · Aug 4, 2021

I know a fella that put up a small home office type cabin,whilst he did his house up, it had the same footprint as a static caravan, it was comfortable enough to be fair, reasonable shower room, two reasonable bedrooms and a living area, not much kitchen though, he rents it out as a holiday let now.

milkloss · Aug 4, 2021

The easiest route might be to say you need it for overflow housing. Got a mobile home here based on that excuse. Must be within the domestic curtilage (garden) of the property though

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

milkloss said:
The easiest route might be to say you need it for overflow housing. Got a mobile home here based on that excuse. Must be within the domestic curtilage (garden) of the property though

Nice idea, but there's no way we'd get away with that. The farmhouse is clearly large enough for all of us. I really need my own place away from the shared garden and farmhouse so definitely nothing just in the garden as MIL's 'area' looks right out onto it! Would need to to be on the agricultural land I'm thinking about or i'd have to consider the other option of moving out (which I really don't want to do).

Steevo · Aug 4, 2021

plonkythedonkey said:
I think what I'm after is to know what can I get away with doing?

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

Tubbylew said:
I know a fella that put up a small home office type cabin,whilst he did his house up, it had the same footprint as a static caravan, it was comfortable enough to be fair, reasonable shower room, two reasonable bedrooms and a living area, not much kitchen though, he rents it out as a holiday let now.

Sounds like that would be ideal for size, but we don't have any reasonable excuse for doing it other than leisure building for me, or holiday lets.

Steevo · Aug 4, 2021

@George from SJM Planning may be happy to advise. I'll leave that up to him to decide.

Tubbylew · Aug 4, 2021

plonkythedonkey said:
Sounds like that would be ideal for size, but we don't have any reasonable excuse for doing it other than leisure building for me, or holiday lets.

Would depend on your council i'd have thought, it's knowing what they want to hear, and how much your prepared to tell them.

plonkythedonkey · Aug 4, 2021

Steevo said:

ok, I'll rephrase that. I'd like to know the probable limits of what I'd be allowed to do.

Building a log cabin for residential use on our own agricultural land - likely to get permission?

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