Considerations when buying a field for equestrian use

[Nbuuifx]

We are currently looking for a new house with land as we currently keep the horses away from the house and we want to hem right next to us.

Everything that we have seen that has been ideal has unfortunately been too expensive. However we've just seen a house for sale which comes with the option of a field directly opposite across the country lane.

It is a perfect sized field, the house is a compromise as it is smaller but would work.

My worry is the current lack of outbuildings.

I would really want to build a stable block (3 stables), a hay store, a general storage area and maybe even a garage as the house doesn't come with one.

The house itself has a small parking area in the front for two cars and a small back garden. So the house itself doesn't have any room for the buildings.

I would therefore be wanting to put a drive into the field and the above buildings in the field to make it suitable for horses.

Ideally I'd like to get water put across under the road and maybe electricity, but these aren't essential.

So what's considerations do I need to take in? I take it the above would all need planning permission? Is it likely to be approved? Any likely stumbling blocks?

Location wise it is on a country lane near a village, after the village you quite quickly get into urban development, so it isn't in the middle of nowhere but is in a secluded spot. There is approx 10 houses on the lane, some have horses and there are stables and menages along the lane, so it wouldn't be out of character.

If appreciate any thoughts on this, it is a bit of a compromise but could potentially give us everything we need. However I don't want to end up with something that we can't use.

 

[ycbm]

You will have two lots of rates to pay if you put up any buildings across the road.

It sounds doable though, with the other equestrian development in the area. I would suggest chatting to the planners, and hope that's not as impossible as it's been in some areas of the country lately.
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[honetpot]

You will be very lucky to get planning for non agricultural on a green field site, but it does all depend on the planners. Some will give you planning if you are going to have something like a riding school, and you can prove it is going to be a community amenity and have a business plan. If you have enough land, you can use permitted development to put up a storage building.https://www.gov.uk/planning-permissions-for-farms/permitted-development
Then you have problems with electricity, water, and drainage, which costs a lot of money to put in.
I lived in a cul de sac where two of us had stables in the garden, horses are classed as domestic animals so as long as you comply with planning, where its easier to put in water and power.My friends garden was just an normal sized garden and she managed to buy a field a walk away, which was two acres for £20k nearly thirty years ago.
I hate to be negative, but I have two neighbours with no mains water and power, the cost of putting water to a house was £40k on the same road as they needed to run a pipe from the mains in the village, even through the house across the road was supplied. If you can tunnel under the road and use the house mains it is cheaper.

 

[oldie48]

If the field is currently classed as agricultural you will need to apply for change of use to equestrian. You will then need planning permission for any stables etc that you put up, not impossible as it depends very much on where it is and how rigid the planners are. It would be much easier to put the stables in your small back garden provided you can access it with horses but you might not be very popular with your neighbours! fwiw a field on our lane was sold for over £20K an acre recently, the new owners have put two blocks of stables on it and changed the entrance. We live in a rather strict planning area and there has been no request for change of use or planning. I watch with interest!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If you were to put a small flock of sheep on your field, you wouldn't need change of use and depending on the amount of land, you might not need PP for the buildings.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Does the field have an existing access onto the highway, ie a gateway, or will you be making one? If you are making one you will need permission from Highways and if you are creating a driveway (vehicle access) you need to consider visibility splays. As others have said you will probably need planning permission so get some pre planning advice from the local authority and check the current usage of the land (agricultural land needs change of use for horses). Might also be useful to check the Local Plan to see if any land in the vicinity has been submitted for potential development (there will be a record of all submitted land probably on the district council website) and see if the parish has a neighbourhood plan that mentions potential development and restrictions.

 

[Nbuuifx]

Thanks for all the great replies.

The land is approx 5 acres. It already has a gateway in, which is opposite the drive for the house. I would presume it is classed as agricultural land but will find out.

 

[PeterNatt]

I have bought a number of agricultural feilds and sucessfully obtained Planning Consent for change of use to Equestrian. However, you do need to be prepared to spend some money and also some time to achieve this. I always use a local planning consultant/surveyor to do it for me as they have connections with the local planners which makes things easier. Putting in a water and electricity supply may also involve a Road Closure which costs additional monies. As regards the above comment they are quirte correct a new access from the highways will involve the County Councils Highways Department. Your surveyor may advise you not to apply for Highway access at this time and leave it till after you have got Planning Consent for Change of Use. Good Luck. If you require any further advice then contact me on peter.natt@btinternet.com

 

[lamlyn2012]

I would speak to neighbouring properties with horses to ask what the area is like for keeping and riding horses. Listen to the positives and negatives and decide if the area suits you.

 

[catembi]

I think it would be worth paying for an initial chat with a planning consultant. When we moved here, it was just a 4 acre unkempt 'garden', and I wanted a stable block, arena, hay barn, tack room etc. Planning was originally put in by the people who were going to be doing the work - refused, & the arena/stables people were about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I got hold of a local planning consultant who worked for the council concerned for 25 years beforehand and OMG the wealth of expertise & practical experience that he had compared with the arena/stables people! He knew all the ins & outs, what to write, what points to address, what points the council had made that they actually weren't allowed to make...and we got our planning. He wasn't even that expensive.

The point of this ramble - find a good planning consultant who specialises in equestrian stuff (I found a few useless ones that specialise in equestrian stuff on my travels...) and pay them to do a site visit and have a chat. It will 1,000 times be worth it. They will be able to give you an informed opinion on what you are likely to be able to do & not do, and you will be able to talk through lots of options. If you are in N Beds, I can send the details!

Oh, and someone else put in the arena & stables etc as the first lot thoroughly exhausted my patience by wasting an inordinate amount of time and money.

 

[Spotherisk]

Have you looked on the planning authority’s website to see if any applications have been made before?

 

[Nbuuifx]

Yes I've checked the planning portal, nothing shows at all.

I spoke with the estate agents today, to complicate things slightly, the two properties are completely separate sales. I presumed they would be the same vendor, but they said it was complete coincidence that they are for sale at the same time. The house is a standard sale and the land is sealed box by a certain date.

Makes it a bit trickier to organise.

It is in the same planning area as my current house and I know they won't even speak to you about anything. You can pay £100 to ask for advice. I know from having an extension on our current property.

 

[neddy man]

Seems the only safe way for you is to buy the land 1st (and that maynot happen if you're out bid) but if you have the land and dont get the house the land can always be resold as they aren't making any more, it just depends how your finances are, though you may be bidding against the other horse owners on same lane.

 

[Nbuuifx]

Seems the only safe way for you is to buy the land 1st (and that maynot happen if you're out bid) but if you have the land and dont get the house the land can always be resold as they aren't making any more, it just depends how your finances are, though you may be bidding against the other horse owners on same lane.

Yes, I might put a bid in at a reasonable amount not really expecting to get it. Then see what happens. The guide price is a fairly reasonable £15,000 per acre. However it could go for a lot more.

 

[Ali27]

We bought a 5 acre field from a local farmer in the Summer. We applied for change of use and to build stables and had no problems at all. My husband did the application. Mains water was quoted at 32k so we currently have IBC containers attached to guttering and will get a bore hole in the Spring.

 

[meleeka]

It depends on the local council. Where I am they allow buildings as long as they are on skids without PP. My barn is 24ft long and I didn’t need PP as it’s on metal skids. Other councils say it can only be a shelter with an open front and must be moved every 28 days. If you are only planning on going over the road and can use your existing water supply that should be a lot cheaper than normal.

 

[Nbuuifx]

It depends on the local council. Where I am they allow buildings as long as they are on skids without PP. My barn is 24ft long and I didn’t need PP as it’s on metal skids. Other councils say it can only be a shelter with an open front and must be moved every 28 days. If you are only planning on going over the road and can use your existing water supply that should be a lot cheaper than normal.

Yes it seems that is quite normal here, providing they are on skids and can be moved.

I don't mind that too much but would really rather have permission to put stables in as then they could have proper hardstanding and it would make things a lot easier if we could drive in.

I took a drive past today, after a lot of rain. The main field was visually ok but the entrance to the field was puddled.

I know what a nightmare winter becomes when you don't have any hardstanding and the mud gets worse and worse.

I'd hope that permission wouldn't be too hard as the whole road has lots of stables, shelters, horses etc along it. You just never know.

The biggest thing that is putting me off is the lack of outbuildings with the house. Without these it would be very difficult if we didn't get permission on the field for what we'd want.

However it is the most affordable solution that we've come across so far.

 

[blitznbobs]

How big is the field. If its agricultural and big enough you could apply for a building for agricultural storage under permitted development and then go for change of use — usually much easier to get once the building is there

 

[blitznbobs]

Eta just spotted that the field is 5 acres so too small for permitted development

 

[Errin Paddywack]

As regards needing hard standing, mud control mats would provide this, possibly cheaper than putting down a permanent surface and just as effective. You can drive over them no problem and if you use buildings on skids you should be sorted. Bonus is that you can lift them if you leave and either sell, they hold their value brilliantly, or take them with you.

 

[wills_91]

When you set out to buy, had you considered needing to apply for planning permission, putting building up etc or where you always looking for something that was ready to go? To me - as an outsider reading this - this isn't sounding like the property for you and I wonder if you would regret this at a later date if it didn't work out with PP etc. How desperate are you to move or can you stick it out as you are for a while?

Appreciate it's a very tricky market at the moment and nearly everything selling above the market value just thought I'd say how it reads to me ?

 

[PeterNatt]

One other important factor to consider is if you wish to sell your property as an Equestrian Property then you will need to demonstrate that you have Planning Consent for Equestrian use of your property together with the documentation which demonstrates that this covers any stables/buildings that are used for equestrian purposes.

 

[Backtoblack]

You could use concrete sleepers for hard standing,the ones they use for cow tracks. They don't need pp as they are moveable

 

[Nbuuifx]

When you set out to buy, had you considered needing to apply for planning permission, putting building up etc or where you always looking for something that was ready to go? To me - as an outsider reading this - this isn't sounding like the property for you and I wonder if you would regret this at a later date if it didn't work out with PP etc. How desperate are you to move or can you stick it out as you are for a while?

Appreciate it's a very tricky market at the moment and nearly everything selling above the market value just thought I'd say how it reads to me ?

I would much prefer to buy something ready to go but at the moment anything ready to go is out of my price range! Another lovely one has just come up but about 150k over budget ?

This particular one that I was talking about is a bargain partially I think because it is two separate properties next to each other rather than one package. However I think I will be giving this one a miss, not necessarily because of the field, but more the lack of extra space with the house. If the house has a nice sized garage with it or at least space for one, then I think I'd go for it but there is no room for all our things ?. It is a shame as this one would come comfortably under budget.

I'll keep looking and hopefully something will come along!

 

[wills_91]

I would much prefer to buy something ready to go but at the moment anything ready to go is out of my price range! Another lovely one has just come up but about 150k over budget ?

This particular one that I was talking about is a bargain partially I think because it is two separate properties next to each other rather than one package. However I think I will be giving this one a miss, not necessarily because of the field, but more the lack of extra space with the house. If the house has a nice sized garage with it or at least space for one, then I think I'd go for it but there is no room for all our things ?. It is a shame as this one would come comfortably under budget.

I'll keep looking and hopefully something will come along!

I think your making the best decision here. Fingers crossed the perfect property comes up soon.