Housing shortage

[glasshouse]

Article on front page of farmers guardian bemoaning the shortage of houses for young farmers and trying to blame brexit.
All farmhouses should have agricultural restrictions put on them

 

[digger64]

Article on front page of farmers guardian bemoaning the shortage of houses for young farmers and trying to blame brexit.
All farmhouses should have agricultural restrictions put on them

Can you expand on how brexit affects that ?

 

[glasshouse]

Can you expand on how brexit affects that ?

It doesnt, their words not mine.
Theres hardly a farmer to be seen round here anymore

 

[HolzKopf]

One of the intentions of the Eric Pickles, the former Communities Minister's changes to permitted development rights in 2013-2015 was to allow farm buildings formerly used in agriculture to be converted to residential. The reasoning was to allow children of farming families to remain on or near to the farm in lower cost housing or allow the next generation to occupy farmhouses while the parents who may be still active but wanting to step back downsized.

Instead he created a developers charter, supported by many rural chartered surveyors and planners, that round here has created houses worth hundreds of thousands of pounds from the most unlikeliest of stock that are for sale or rent on the open market to all and sundry. Many inaccessible and now occupied by incomers that have little knowledge of or respect for existing rural communities.

Of course many young farmers coming through cannot afford these dwellings and thus the problem remains. Sure, many farmers have benefitted from the ability to sell on a plot or structure for conversion that previously was derelict and languishing in the weeds but it hasn't done much to house the younger rural population.

Thatcher's 'Right to Buy' also mopped up rural council housing that again was a way of farming families' new blood staying in or just outside of the village within easy travelling distance of a family farm.

Many estates still have cottages to rent or with the job at a good subsidy but money talks and many understandably are guilty of moving existing farm property out into the private sector. I'd like to see local authorities themselves using existing brownfield sites to build or convert property for rural stock. I can think of any number of suitable sites round here that would house a younger rural generation at reasonable cost without provoking the nimby backlash that estate type matchbox housing does in green-belt areas.

But just like anything that successive governments here could do, they've got to want to do it, not just pay lip service to the idea. Why is it that we can put the country to rights - and down the pub at that - when our politicians of any party colour or creed continue to fail us.

HK

 

[Farmer Roy]

I spent two years working on Compton Manor in Hampshire just after Sir Tommy died & the place was on the market, late 80’s - early 90’s. Because it was on the market & the future was uncertain, they had trouble replacing a full time farm worker, which was how a 20 something yr old Aussie backpacker ended up as “ploughman” there . . .
Anyway, there were a lot of houses & cottages on the estate, a handful were occupied by farm staff, but the rest were rented to tenants. Some lovely old flint stone buildings in picturesque situations . . .
As the estate wasn’t selling as a complete package, the plan was to break it up, get vacant possession on all the houses & sell them off individually. I was involved in helping the maintenance man ( who I only found out recently, died a few years ago ) clear out some of the cottages & doing repairs etc . . .
Anyway, I always thought it a shame that the houses would all be sold off to “outsiders” who had nothing to do with the estate
When I left, last I heard they were hoping to sell the estate to Hong Kong hotel developers with an idea of turning the Manor into a hotel ? That was the early 90’s - a lot has happened since then. Be interested to know what’s happened, anyone know the place ?
Was owned by Sir Thomas Sopwith & was a real “shootin n fishin” estate - 6 miles of River Test fishing rights, the major income I believe . . .
Just as a big of interest, Kerry Packer looked at buying it while I was there, but it didn’t have enough flat land to build all the polo fields he wanted . . .

 

[kiwi pom]

I spent two years working on Compton Manor in Hampshire just after Sir Tommy died & the place was on the market, late 80’s - early 90’s. Because it was on the market & the future was uncertain, they had trouble replacing a full time farm worker, which was how a 20 something yr old Aussie backpacker ended up as “ploughman” there . . .
Anyway, there were a lot of houses & cottages on the estate, a handful were occupied by farm staff, but the rest were rented to tenants. Some lovely old flint stone buildings in picturesque situations . . .
As the estate wasn’t selling as a complete package, the plan was to break it up, get vacant possession on all the houses & sell them off individually. I was involved in helping the maintenance man ( who I only found out recently, died a few years ago ) clear out some of the cottages & doing repairs etc . . .
Anyway, I always thought it a shame that the houses would all be sold off to “outsiders” who had nothing to do with the estate
When I left, last I heard they were hoping to sell the estate to Hong Kong hotel developers with an idea of turning the Manor into a hotel ? That was the early 90’s - a lot has happened since then. Be interested to know what’s happened, anyone know the place ?
Was owned by Sir Thomas Sopwith & was a real “shootin n fishin” estate - 6 miles of River Test fishing rights, the major income I believe . . .
Just as a big of interest, Kerry Packer looked at buying it while I was there, but it didn’t have enough flat land to build all the polo fields he wanted . . .

Nowadays the countryside is full of well off people that have jobs in the big cities and wouldn't know anything about agriculture. Most farm workers end up living miles away in a shoebox in town because they cant afford to live where they work. Its one reason the roads are so busy, everyone travels miles to get to work.
Its all about the money, which is a fair one but the ones that annoy me are those who sell to the big money execs (land and houses) then P**s and moan the countryside's not the same anymore.
Barn conversions were one of the dumbest things that's happened in recent years. They don't even look nice.

 

[borderterribles]

One of the intentions of the Eric Pickles, the former Communities Minister's changes to permitted development rights in 2013-2015 was to allow farm buildings formerly used in agriculture to be converted to residential. The reasoning was to allow children of farming families to remain on or near to the farm in lower cost housing or allow the next generation to occupy farmhouses while the parents who may be still active but wanting to step back downsized.

Instead he created a developers charter, supported by many rural chartered surveyors and planners, that round here has created houses worth hundreds of thousands of pounds from the most unlikeliest of stock that are for sale or rent on the open market to all and sundry. Many inaccessible and now occupied by incomers that have little knowledge of or respect for existing rural communities.

Of course many young farmers coming through cannot afford these dwellings and thus the problem remains. Sure, many farmers have benefitted from the ability to sell on a plot or structure for conversion that previously was derelict and languishing in the weeds but it hasn't done much to house the younger rural population.

Thatcher's 'Right to Buy' also mopped up rural council housing that again was a way of farming families' new blood staying in or just outside of the village within easy travelling distance of a family farm.

Many estates still have cottages to rent or with the job at a good subsidy but money talks and many understandably are guilty of moving existing farm property out into the private sector. I'd like to see local authorities themselves using existing brownfield sites to build or convert property for rural stock. I can think of any number of suitable sites round here that would house a younger rural generation at reasonable cost without provoking the nimby backlash that estate type matchbox housing does in green-belt areas.

But just like anything that successive governments here could do, they've got to want to do it, not just pay lip service to the idea. Why is it that we can put the country to rights - and down the pub at that - when our politicians of any party colour or creed continue to fail us.

HK

Absolutely true. Just to add that the permitted development rights have had the added benefit ( to the Government),of giving many farmers another serious cash injection, thus enabling them to keep producing food at, or below the cost of production.
Win win?

 

[Exfarmer]

Barn conversions are nothing new. Before planning rules came into existence it was very common to convert barns to accomodation, then back again. If you look at some of the old barns, if there are any left, many contain marks of domestic accomodation such as old windows and possibly chimneys or soot marks.
it may have been very rudimentary, just to accomodate seasonal workers, or they may have been the farmhouse , before a grander one was built in better times

 

[bluebell]

To late now but there should have been laws in place to stop farms when sold to be lotted, ie farmhouse and ten acres sold, then rest of land sold off, yes i know when you sell you only sell once and very often to get the most money this works ? all it means that a nother farm that was a working farm lost for ever ? If that was the law you would buy or own farms with that understanding, or am i wrong?

 

[Hereward]

Quite happy to ease the shortage here and pop up 75 3 beds.

 

[Hereward]

To late now but there should have been laws in place to stop farms when sold to be lotted, ie farmhouse and ten acres sold, then rest of land sold off, yes i know when you sell you only sell once and very often to get the most money this works ? all it means that a nother farm that was a working farm lost for ever ? If that was the law you would buy or own farms with that understanding, or am i wrong?

The worlds changed, you don't need a farmstead for every two hundred acres now.

Many large contract farming operations serve 5000 acres from a single yard.

 

[Werzle]

They make the rules on getting a farm workers dwelling so hard and costly its criminal. Folks can pop houses up in gardens etc with cheap planning applications but farmers have to produce specialist costly reports. Joke

 

[7610 super q]

Oh please...................
Get on Rightmove, and you'll find 3000 properties for sale in your area.

 

[Ukjay]

All farmhouses should have agricultural restrictions put on them

But why would that be any good in the current mindset - Farmers couldn't therefore make £££'s selling off there unused properties to rich folks then. Reap what we sow and all that...

 

[Frodo2]

The worlds changed, you don't need a farmstead for every two hundred acres now.

Many large contract farming operations serve 5000 acres from a single yard.

They must be really crap farmers if they need 5000 acres, when others manage to bring up a family on 200

 

[bluebell]

and isnt that whats wrong with farming in england? one company farming 5,000 acres ? were not in america or australia ? people on here continually complain about people in the countryside not nothing todo or care about farming ? i also have said the same ? but would not it be better to have say 10 working farms of 500 acres each, or one of 5000 acres ?

 

[kiwi pom]

and isnt that whats wrong with farming in england? one company farming 5,000 acres ? were not in america or australia ? people on here continually complain about people in the countryside not nothing todo or care about farming ? i also have said the same ? but would not it be better to have say 10 working farms of 500 acres each, or one of 5000 acres ?

The 5000 acre place might employ 10 staff though (dairy, spuds, veg etc) so you still have ten families making a living off the land.

 

[Farfrae]

Article on front page of farmers guardian bemoaning the shortage of houses for young farmers and trying to blame brexit.

There was me thinking it was a shortage of affordable housing faor all youngster not just young farmers (who may well also be going to inherit a large capital asset tax free in the future).

But interfering in 'the market' would be very Corbynesque would it not? I mean trying to provide decent housing at reasonable price for young people to flourish and bring up their family would never do when there are markets to be satisfied, rents to be harvested and profits to be pocketed.

Just an observation.

 

[glasshouse]

To late now but there should have been laws in place to stop farms when sold to be lotted, ie farmhouse and ten acres sold, then rest of land sold off, yes i know when you sell you only sell once and very often to get the most money this works ? all it means that a nother farm that was a working farm lost for ever ? If that was the law you would buy or own farms with that understanding, or am i wrong?

Its never too late to save whats left

 

[glasshouse]

The worlds changed, you don't need a farmstead for every two hundred acres now.

Many large contract farming operations serve 5000 acres from a single yard.

And what good does that do?
One contract farmer gets to satisfy his metal fetish while the rural community dies