| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Wigan Pixie |
Question on change of useA few friends and I are in the early process of getting a communal smallholding together, where we will all live and work together as self sufficiently as possible.Last night I woke up with thinking about change of land use. If we buy a property that has been used for equestrian purposes, do we have to inform anyone if we wanted to start growing crops and keeping chickens and goats? I've done an internet search but I'm using my mobile phone until my laptop is fixed and it's impossible to use for searching. Can anyone give me any advice or point me in the right direction or I'm not going to be able to sleep until I find out 
|
| RichardW |
Equestrian is not agriculture so IF they have a proper centre that they pay council business rates on then you would need planning for change of use. If is a field that someone keeps a horse on under the radar then its prob still registered as agricultural. |
| Rob R |
Land can revert back to agriculture though, with no planning notice to confirm the change, you don't need planning for this to happen, but you might want it in the case of, as Richard stated above, where the equestrian use relates to a business activity and is rateable. Actually, you don't actually need the planning but you do need to contact the valuation office ro reassess your property. |
| dpack |
iirc having permission for equines does not mean you must have one
keeping it open will help long term i prefer chillis and cucumbers to horses 
|
| Treacodactyl |
If is a field that someone keeps a horse on under the radar then its prob still registered as agricultural. |
Not necessarily. I checked this with our local planning and was told officially that horses can be kept on an agricultural pasture and you would only need to apply for change of use if they were ridden on the land. (I may have misunderstood of course, or been mislead).
If the question doesn't relate to a specific piece of land I'd phone your local planners and ask them (I'm sure different councils either have different rules or at least interpret the same ones rather differently).
If it does relate to something specific then check with your solicitor, there may also be conditions on the land that might limit what you do, probably unlikely but I can't keep goats on my woodland for example.
