Please can someone explain to me what agricultural land can and can't be used for?

[Dead Tomorrow]

Hello everyone!

We are in the process of buying a little small holding with 4 acres of land made up of two fields.

I'm still a bit confused as to what you can and can't use agricultural land for. I'd like to use it for growing both ornamental plants as a garden and also for growing vegetables and fruit.

In an ideal world I would like to put up a potting shed, a slightly larger poly tunnel than is there now and maybe a small glasshouse one day. Which could all be temporary structures. Otherwise we don't plan on any buildings or major landscaping.

Does that all sound as if it is allowed? I've read that agricultural land means for livestock as well as 'horticulture, orchards and crops' which seems to cover what we're thinking?

Thank you
DT

 

[Princess Pooper]

Hello everyone!

We are in the process of buying a little small holding with 4 acres of land made up of two fields.

I'm still a bit confused as to what you can and can't use agricultural land for. I'd like to use it for growing both ornamental plants as a garden and also for growing vegetables and fruit.

In an ideal world I would like to put up a potting shed, a slightly larger poly tunnel than is there now and maybe a small glasshouse one day. Which could all be temporary structures. Otherwise we don't plan on any buildings or major landscaping.

Does that all sound as if it is allowed? I've read that agricultural land means for livestock as well as 'horticulture, orchards and crops' which seems to cover what we're thinking?

Thank you
DT

The 'garden' bit requires planning permission to change from agriculture to private garden. As well as what is being grown, I think it depends on whether it is being run as a business for it to count as agriculture (in planning terms), but I am no expert.

 

[bobk]

Cannabis is fine until you get caught

 

[Dead Tomorrow]

The 'garden' bit requires planning permission to change from agriculture to private garden. As well as what is being grown, I think it depends on whether it is being run as a business for it to count as agriculture (in planning terms), but I am no expert.

Thank you, it's quite confusing isn't it, I can't find any official guidance for it. It would be good to know because part of the garden element could be run as a business for breeding and growing plants to sell.

 

[delilah]

JFDI. Everyone is working from home, it's the new normal apparently. Planning dept would rather you didn't bother them with it.

 

[chaffcutter]

If it’s a commercial enterprise you will be fine, agriculture or horticulture is fine. It’s only if you change it into a garden which becomes part of the ‘curtilage’ of the house that you would need change of use.

 

[Dead Tomorrow]

If it’s a commercial enterprise you will be fine, agriculture or horticulture is fine. It’s only if you change it into a garden which becomes part of the ‘curtilage’ of the house that you would need change of use.

Thank you, so as a gardener (who works in client gardens) I would be allowed to grow plants on agricultural land with the view of selling them to clients as customers?

 

[chaffcutter]

I can’t see any reason to say no!

 

[Dead Tomorrow]

I can’t see any reason to say no!

Thank you

 

[dudders]

Just get on with growing and selling. See if anyone complains and deal with it then.

If you're not being too cheeky, no-one's likely to notice, and if the authorities don't like it, they'll tell you to stop. No big deal.

 

[deleted user 837354]

The grief with planning will start when you want to put up a shed or poly tunnel or similar.

 

[Spencer]

Just make sure the “potting shed“ is connected to a septic tank, has mains gas and water, and foundations to building standards...

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Just get on with growing and selling. See if anyone complains and deal with it then.

If you're not being too cheeky, no-one's likely to notice, and if the authorities don't like it, they'll tell you to stop. No big deal.

this!

get some screening in early on and give your neighbours free plants and keep them smiling.

not sure where you are in the world but imagine diving to the local view point and looking down on your patch. If it’s A multi coloured spiralling mess it will catch the eye. If it’s looks a bit like a farm you could be ok.

 

[Simon Chiles]

The grief with planning will start when you want to put up a shed or poly tunnel or similar.

The OP said that it already had a poly tunnel and that (s)he would replace it with a slightly larger one. I suspect the hassle will come if the OP’s definition of slightly varies significantly from the planning departments.

 

[Dry Rot]

My neighbour went from an 12m x 24m agricultural shed for his four sheep on his 3 acre farm, then planning for change of use and extention to a bigger shed for storage and general purpose which turns out to be a firewood processing business with huge stacks a timber on what remains of the "farm". The sheep have gone, presumably because there isn't enough grazing left. But they do say the measure of civilsation is the people's laws and how they are administered. Further than that, I couldn't possibly comment.

 

[Dead Tomorrow]

Just get on with growing and selling. See if anyone complains and deal with it then.

If you're not being too cheeky, no-one's likely to notice, and if the authorities don't like it, they'll tell you to stop. No big deal.

It will be a problem if the authorities tell me to stop as that means I can't trade - it's quite important I don't get into that situation as I need the land for growing.

 

[Dead Tomorrow]

The OP said that it already had a poly tunnel and that (s)he would replace it with a slightly larger one. I suspect the hassle will come if the OP’s definition of slightly varies significantly from the planning departments.

Yes, it already has a polytunnel, some garden and a area used for growing vegetables.

 

[Dry Rot]

Don't upset your neighbour!

 

[dudders]

It will be a problem if the authorities tell me to stop as that means I can't trade - it's quite important I don't get into that situation as I need the land for growing.

OK, so you haven't bought the place yet and it's important to you that you can trade. So before you go any further in the purchase, put your proposal before the local planning authority and ask for their advice. It's free!

 

[matthew]

Has the. 4ac got a holding number?
If it’s already got a poly tunnel and veg plot, the that is established use.

Any planning attached to the site, should be revealed in searches.