- Location
- East Sussex
Get PP for a triple bay oak barn…… two bays for garage, one bay boarded for an office and stairs to the loft (flat). Should be possible if the house is big enough to warrant it.
Building a log cabin for residential use on our own agricultural land - likely to get permission?
- Thread starter plonkythedonkey
- Start date
plonkythedonkey
Member
Do you mean this might be allowed away from the farmhouse on the land I'm talking about?
@plonkythedonkey I am happy to advise but through this thread your requirements have altered. Are you looking for an independent dwelling, an annexe or a man cave?
And realistically it is not what you can get away with, it is more what you can provide justification for.
An independent dwelling in the countryside is neigh on impossible so the proposition of a cabin on land separated from the host dwelling is wishful thinking.
An annexe sounds like your best solution but the siting and size will be important, this could be by conversion of an outbuilding or a new multi functional building, the requirement to be on site to care for your MIL will help.
The mancave / glorified garden shed is the easiest but would need to be within the residential curtilage of the host dwelling.
There is very little point doing a pre-app with the council unless you are clear what you require and where you intend to site it. If there is a road or track between they will be very suspicious of subdivision and selling as separate units.
And realistically it is not what you can get away with, it is more what you can provide justification for.
An independent dwelling in the countryside is neigh on impossible so the proposition of a cabin on land separated from the host dwelling is wishful thinking.
An annexe sounds like your best solution but the siting and size will be important, this could be by conversion of an outbuilding or a new multi functional building, the requirement to be on site to care for your MIL will help.
The mancave / glorified garden shed is the easiest but would need to be within the residential curtilage of the host dwelling.
There is very little point doing a pre-app with the council unless you are clear what you require and where you intend to site it. If there is a road or track between they will be very suspicious of subdivision and selling as separate units.
I would urge you to reconsider the location, anything you do must be associative to the host dwelling and difficult to subdivide.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
1) log cabin "holiday home" for diverse tourism etc.
2) don't let it out at all, or put rates so high noone comes.
3) apply to turn to dwelling on grounds of no demand.
2) don't let it out at all, or put rates so high noone comes.
3) apply to turn to dwelling on grounds of no demand.
You may be looking at 10 years + for that route and use as a dwelling in the meantime could mean enforcement, court and forced removal.
plonkythedonkey
Member
Thanks very much for the realistic advice. I'm disappointed to read that it would be difficult to get permission for a dwelling. However, I would be happy with a place I don't live in, but just have as a completely separate daytime living area and small garden that I can call my own. The land I'm looking at is a small unused corner (already fenced off) of a cattle grazing field and next to a large disused old cattle shed and silo clamp.
An annexe probably wouldn't be allowed on our Grade 2 listed farmhouse. The need to care for MIL probably wouldn't hold much weight as there's clearly room for all of us in the large farmhouse.
I'd consider building a hut/cabin as a holiday letting but then simply not let it out all year and use it myself too with 'reserve weeks' (not sure if this is something I'd be allowed to do though). We have just got PP for 4 large grain bins closer to the farmhouse for commercial use, if this might help my case.
plonkythedonkey
Member
The land is not far away from the farmhouse, just across the yard and behind one of the old sheds.
I think I need to check what the curtilage is.....(new to all this farm stuff!)
The curtilage is just the farmhouse garden.
Feel free to message me direct if you want to share site specific bits that you would be prefer not to share in the open.
Are the old sheds in use? Could they be converted into an annexe? An annexe can pretty much serve as an independent dwelling but have some reliance on the main house.
New structures in the countryside are always scrutinised so if you could reuse an existing structure then that would always be preferable.
plonkythedonkey
Member
Ah, so this land isn't part of the curtilage then as it's not in the farmhouse garden.
The old sheds aren't in use for anything important, just storing some hay, an old car etc. Is there a possibility we'd be allowed to take down the structure and put something else there, or just reuse the old structure somehow then?
When I looked at buying a log cabin big enough to live in it wasn't much cheaper than building a house (or it was but not enough of a difference to justify not building a house) and the thing was more or less worthless after 25 years.
Wouldn't a static caravan be better for you? Or even a big tourer. Park it in the old shed if need be.
Wouldn't a static caravan be better for you? Or even a big tourer. Park it in the old shed if need be.
Have you heard of Class Q? It is Permitted Development for the conversion of Agricultural Buildings to houses. If you haven't then you may be missing an opportunity to get the separate dwelling you are after.
plonkythedonkey
Member
Hmmm, parking something in the big shed might end up being a possibility I could consider if we can't do anything else! Ideally though, something I can create to be my own little area is what I need. A caravan in a shed sounds quite soul destroying so there'd be little point. There are wonderful views from the land I've envisaged and I would love to make use of that area with a structure that looks attractive too.
There is no house big enough for two Women!!!!
plonkythedonkey
Member
So glad somebody understands!
plonkythedonkey
Member
Ah, my husband has mentioned this Class Q to me as I think that's what the grain bins have been given permission under. But isn't this just for holiday lettings? If it could be residential too would this have to retain the original structure or could we rebuild something smaller? We will look into it ourselves later today too.
Am off out now but I have to say how much I appreciate all the brilliant advice and information given to me here. We have a lot of thinking to do this week. You guys are amazing and may just save my sanity - thank you!!
I am currently considering a similar arrangement to you and the thought scares me!So glad somebody understands!
Class Q is the conversion of agricultural buildings to residential units. This is what a lot of barn conversions fall under. It doesn't have to be anything on a grand designs scale. I think there are so many options open to you, I would urge you to speak to a planning professional (me or someone else) before going in one particular direction.
plonkythedonkey
Member
Thank you so much George, I may be in touch with you later today.
2 bay oak frame garage, then just alter slightly a bit like this
This is a three bay garage size cabin, first bay kitchen/living with wood burner, second bay bedroom, third bay back portion small toilet shower with front portion still open to outside with wood fired hot tub! All off grid, fed with spring and solar. This does have planning though used as air B and B. Use your imagination, keep the doors on and just open up with windows behind when needed.
Could go a bit smaller on skids perhaps like this one same site
These are where I did a two week oak framing course which I can highly recommend if your interested in that sort of thing. They could even build it as part of one of their courses…
This is a three bay garage size cabin, first bay kitchen/living with wood burner, second bay bedroom, third bay back portion small toilet shower with front portion still open to outside with wood fired hot tub! All off grid, fed with spring and solar. This does have planning though used as air B and B. Use your imagination, keep the doors on and just open up with windows behind when needed.
Could go a bit smaller on skids perhaps like this one same site
These are where I did a two week oak framing course which I can highly recommend if your interested in that sort of thing. They could even build it as part of one of their courses…