Building your own stables ?

[Mary3050]

Hi Guys

Just looking for some advice regarding build our own stables from wood. We are looking to purchase Some land fingers crossed when coronvirus is over. Speaking today to a friend who is in planning he said the stables would need to be natural and on skids to cut out having to put in for planning . I have rung around to get a few quotes . The cheapest are quoting around £10000 for 6 stables 3.6 m x3.6m, a hay barn 3.6m x 4m and a small tack room. The stables look okay quality but nothing special. I would be wanting to build a second block the same in another 6 - 12 months after the first block.

My step dad is a draftsman, then we have other family willing to help including an engineer and plumber. So just wondering if we would be best building the stables ourselves. As don’t want to pay £10,000 for a block of okay stables when for the same money I feel we could do ourselves for. A better price.
Has anyone else built there own and it worked out okay ?
Thanks

 

[Tihamandturkey]

I did - a four stable American Barn type building.
It worked well - I had block divisions between stables - I didn't plan them high enough though so topped them off with a steel bar - worked well as horses could see but not bother each other.

I also incorporated opening windows at the back of the stables (stable door design)

Front door was a sliding design and rear door an ordinary one - if I'd done again I would have had both doors large enough to let a tractor through.

Rear door led to muck heap.

Make sure you face your building opening away from wind - good luck ?

 

[Mary3050]

Thanks for the reply .
Would love an American barn but don’t you have to have planning for that? Also would you say it cost you more than 10k to do yours ? Xxx

 

[CLA85]

Yes we built our own, but from brick, with a tile effect roof. We built block of 3 very large stables, ride through to arena/fields, tack room/gym/large barn/garage. Stables are finished but the rest isn’t quite done, but can’t get anything at the moment so it’s all on hold. Still need garage doors, tack room floor needs tiling, gym floor needs deciding on, some more external lights and driveway needs finishing. I have in essence built a large L-shaped bungalow....? but I saved a fortune by doing most of it ourselves. (Not electrics! I don’t do electrics, and neither does hubby!) Our planners required brick, at the time I was a little peeved as it added considerably to the cost, but actually they look lovely, and there isn’t tons of wood to treat every year. I bought a temporary wooden set of stables as storage whilst the planning went through, they weren’t cheap but the quality was naf I thought. As long as you have the skills and time, build them yourself! If your trying to avoid planning, technically they have to be mobile, so on skids with no permanent features, to be honest if you are wanting 12stables, your likely to need planning. Certainly would round here! But I think it varies greatly on the region your in what you can get away with. Good luck!

 

[Tihamandturkey]

Thanks for the reply .
Would love an American barn but don’t you have to have planning for that? Also would you say it cost you more than 10k to do yours ? Xxx

I didn't need planning because it was within a certain distance of our farmhouse - Ireland 20 years ago ?

Definitely didn't cost anywhere near that either but obv a long time ago ? xxx

 

[Mary3050]

That’s sounds lovely would have loved to have had stone but I would have to go through much more planning for that . I actually know of a

I didn't need planning because it was within a certain distance of our farmhouse - Ireland 20 years ago ?

Definitely didn't cost anywhere near that either but obv a long time ago ? xxx

I have already suggested to my family that’s we just move over to Ireland because it would be better for my horses and land price is better ? . They don’t seem to agree. Think mums more scared we would end up with 20 odd connies ? . It’s very odd if I don’t bring a new one home on my trips to Ireland . Whoops . Thanks for your help xx

 

[Tihamandturkey]

That’s sounds lovely would have loved to have had stone but I would have to go through much more planning for that . I actually know of a


I have already suggested to my family that’s we just move over to Ireland because it would be better for my horses and land price is better ? . They don’t seem to agree. Think mums more scared we would end up with 20 odd connies ? . It’s very odd if I don’t bring a new one home on my trips to Ireland . Whoops . Thanks for your help xx

It is easy to collect animals here that's for sure ? xx

 

[Mary3050]

Yes we built our own, but from brick, with a tile effect roof. We built block of 3 very large stables, ride through to arena/fields, tack room/gym/large barn/garage. Stables are finished but the rest isn’t quite done, but can’t get anything at the moment so it’s all on hold. Still need garage doors, tack room floor needs tiling, gym floor needs deciding on, some more external lights and driveway needs finishing. I have in essence built a large L-shaped bungalow....? but I saved a fortune by doing most of it ourselves. (Not electrics! I don’t do electrics, and neither does hubby!) Our planners required brick, at the time I was a little peeved as it added considerably to the cost, but actually they look lovely, and there isn’t tons of wood to treat every year. I bought a temporary wooden set of stables as storage whilst the planning went through, they weren’t cheap but the quality was naf I thought. As long as you have the skills and time, build them yourself! If your trying to avoid planning, technically they have to be mobile, so on skids with no permanent features, to be honest if you are wanting 12stables, your likely to need planning. Certainly would round here! But I think it varies greatly on the region your in what you can get away with. Good luck!

I would love stone but I think the planners are unlike to agree to that when where putting in for planning for log cabins too. Are planners really seem to like wood so it fits in with the natural environment. Yes I knew they would have to be on skids. I actually know a livery yard near me that has 20 stables all classed as temporary. They have been allowed that for years. I would ideal like to have the second lot put through the planning . But once we sell this house I have to get at least 3 stables up at the new place pretty quickly (not long enough to wait for planning) As 3 of mine have to come in at night. One due to medical reasons , one stallion and a 5 year old that will jump anything if left out at night ?

 

[CLA85]

I think it really depends on the area you are in with what planners like, it doesn’t always seem to make sense to me! We had no chance with wood, despite the fact the nearest two equestrian properties to us have wooden stables! Bizarre! But the brick version went through without a hitch! Enjoy planning them!

 

[Petalpoos]

I think you may have difficulty persuading the planners that you can move such large buildings. We have two 3.6*7.2m field shelters and have only managed to move them once, anything bigger would, I suspect, be impossible. It may end up costing you a lot more than you thought if you run into problems with the planners and they make you take it all down. Plus you cannot put concrete, or most types (depending on your local planners) of hard standing, down and making do without that is a total pain! Good luck whatever you do, it sounds exciting, planning your own yard!

 

[TheMule]

You will need planning for what you're describing.
You can get away without planning for a shelter but still have to demonstrate that you do move it regularly

 

[Duckanasteroidiscoming]

I think it very doubtful you'd get away without having to apply for planning based on the scale of buildings you talk about and if you are also looking to put up log cabins then you really don't want to pee the planners off by trying to bend the rules for your stables. Don't think the planners will not notice, it only takes one person to complain or, as is quite likely, they will want a site visit when you apply for the cabins, so will see for themselves. The only way to build stables without planning is to do it within the curtilage of your house i.e. you garden which doesn't appear to be the case here.

Mobile shelters/stables really do have to be mobile - the rules differ per authority about how strictly they enforce them but some councils will insist that you move them every 6 months by at least 200 metres, and not put them back into the same place i.e you can't just move them back and forwards. You also won't be able to put them on any sort of hard standing so would turn into a quagmire in the winter.

There is also the issue of change of use of the land. If the land has been agricultural grazing land before then the grazing of horses is not change of use but the feeding of horses on that land (hay/hard feed) and riding does constitute change of use whether that is inside a temporary building or just in the field itself. It depends how rigorously your local council is on enforcement but the more you try to circumvent the rules the more likely they are to start looking at every single thing you do. Re the yard near you that has been using temporary stabling for years - it's likely that their use hasn't been challenged for 10+ years and therefore the council can no long serve a breach of planning.

Applying for planning doesn't need to be that difficult or expensive. Search your local council's planning website for other applications in the area - if others have had permission granted for stabling then you can use that as a precedent. Unless you are in an a national park or area of outstanding national beauty or SSI then there is a good chance you'll get permission as long as you approach it in the right way and set out your case logically e.g - environmental reasons + stables are needed to protect the land from damage/soil erosion in the winter, medical/welfare reasons for the horses (laminitis) . Even easier if when you buy land it already comes with some old sheds, or outhouses.

But honestly, don't fall out with the planners. I bought a place last year which came with all sorts of outstanding planning breaches by the previous owners - putting up barns without PP, siting a mobile home, putting up 2m+ high fencing by the road etc etc. I knew all of this prior to purchase and have been working on building a good and open relationship with the council's planning department since then to solve the prior issues before I start applying for all the changes I want to make (including removal of the AOC - fingers crossed!). The planners know I want to do things properly and have been very helpful so far.

 

[Mary3050]

Thanks all a lot to think about . It’s already down as equestrian use. Think I will speak to our friend again at the planning office. As we will be looking to put a ménage in and bark turnout padddocks eventually. See what he thinks . Yes it’s makes me wonder how some of the yards local to me get away with what they do. Ones been paid a visit recently because he build a barn to big . They didn’t seem bothered that in the last 5 years he’s had another massive barn up with 20 internal stables, it’s gone from being 13 stables to 48 in 5 years, a ménage and 3 large woodchips each one as big as the ménage . It’s also down as agricultural use but they got 50 odd horse. He also tells the tax man that they all bar 5 belong to family and makes no money from them ? . Wish we could all but 40 odd livery’s on with out the tax man coming !

Hopefully we could put all the planning in one big swoop as I am sure if they accept the log cabins they won’t mind stables to. The only thing they said with the cabins is no higher in height than the surrounding houses, a they have to be a natural colour and 200 meters from the boundary fence.

Thanks guys lots to think about. In some sense it’s exciting but in other very stressful to get it all done in time. Luckily Coronavirus has given us Time to plan more.