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A Polytunnel
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wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Tue Jan 12, 16 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks. I'm considering 14x30. Or maybe 40. I'll phone planning in the morning.

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Wed Jan 13, 16 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The larger the volume of air in the tunnel, the better it maintains heat. If you can get tall side walls, do it. It'll be more comfortable to have the head space, and you get a much larger of volume of air to hold heat in the winter, with a minor increase in surface area of the tunnel with which to lose the heat.

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Wed Jan 13, 16 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I don't think I will get planning permission. Also, I don't really need much headroom

Mardu



Joined: 20 May 2005
Posts: 67

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 16 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Had my polytunnel 8 years and I wouldn't be without it. It's 14 feet wide by 25 feet long and I always cram it full. I am sure I could fill a larger one! The straight sides give much more room for growing. I have permanent strawberry and asparagus beds, grow early crops of broad, French & runner beans and peas, a couple of early potato plants and one courgette plant. Then during the main season have tomatoes, aubergines, melons, chillies, peppers, celery, some herbs plus I can't remember what else! I have never had problems with fly or mite. I have had problems with mice/vole and, once, a rabbit. The tunnel is fairly high and that allows for a hanging shelf down the centre where I can raise seedlings away from mice, voles etc. I, also, have a mini greenhouse in it for frost protection of young plants. Unfortunately it is away from other buildings where we do collect run off water and I have never got round to collecting the rain off the tunnel. Mind you, if I did I then would have to fill a watering can and hand water. It takes me appx 10 to 15 minutes once a day with the hose pipe when everything is growing well. At other times of the year I do use the watering can with rain collected from the nearest shed. The tunnel is certainly worth its weight in gold.

What's the problem with planning permission? Would a smaller one be acceptable or is it other properties close by? Some councils don't even require permission whilst others require you to jump through hoops. I know of one case where it had to be proved that the tunnel would be accessible for wheelchair users. Hope you manage to sort something.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 16 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

If the initial reply from planning was no, look it up on the internet. We were told that we couldn't have anything in the woods, even a container, but as we come under an agricultural holding, and other things come under temporary structures, the planning officer was completely wrong.

dan1



Joined: 23 Jun 2010
Posts: 102
Location: Bristolish
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 16 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ive had rats, rabbits and various smaller rodents taking up residence in mine. Voles nicked some peas. Ants were the main culprits with the strawberries.
Watering is a big issue and it's not straightforward collecting from the roof (though I see firsttunnels do a guttering thing. They also do a good series of youtube vids for erecting them)
I use porous hose buried under the topsoil coneected to a hose and timer.
I'd be surprise if you needed planning at all, as it's a tempory structure, unless you're in some kind of beautiful special heritage place where they're precious about these things
dan

Tavascarow



Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 16 1:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Mistress Rose wrote:
If the initial reply from planning was no, look it up on the internet. We were told that we couldn't have anything in the woods, even a container, but as we come under an agricultural holding, and other things come under temporary structures, the planning officer was completely wrong.
I'm sure some planning officers make it up as they go along.
I read it was even easier to erect buildings related to forestry through the permitted development rules than it is for agriculture.
Woodlands & planning legislation.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Thu Jan 21, 16 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Sorry, but I wouldn't believe that either. Permitted development only applies to genuine woodland holdings for forestry, not the size that Woodlands.co.uk sells. In fact a number of their customers have had trouble and been told to take down even garden sheds to keep tools in.

It is always as well to read up on the planning rules directly before contacting the planning people.

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Thu Jan 21, 16 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Planning is quite complex here. There is a lot of planning history, so it will hoops all the way, for sure. My best chance is probably to be open with the planners. The tunnel won't be in my garden, but the 'paddock'. No one is sure what planning catergory this has. It is very overlooked, by probably fifty houses.

The planning for polytunnel is quite ambiguous, anyway. So without knowing the catergory, I can't create the right 'spin'. I'm hoping they'll tell me, but planning is crazy here.

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 16 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

No chance of getting planning. It is apparently classed as 'open countryside' which isn't a proper class, and therefore I can't find out what I can actually do. Attempts to explain that I cannot stay within the bounds of a classification unless someone will tell me what it is went unheeded.

Things in it which are 'ancillary to the use of the dwelling house' have been deemed unlawful, as it is a separate planning unit. With no classification of its own, apparently. However, no one is making a fuss about them, so I am quietly enjoying them. As this includes an 8 kilowatt solar array (which is definitely ancillary, and thus probably also unlawful, although I was told that I didn't need planning for it) I really don't want to rock the boat with a great big polytunnel, at least until I plant more trees. Damn shame.

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