Help! Stable planning traumas and I need some advice!

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PercyMum

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Have achieved the dream ( touch wood!) and bought somewhere that we can keep the horses at home. So excited !!

Planning where we are is a nightmare so we are converting the double garage into stables. It's 22.8" x 17.1" so I'm planning to divide in half to give a 11.4" x 17.1" box and a 13.1" x 11.4" box with a 4" x 11.4" tack/ feed room. I think that should be fine but the ceiling is only 8" tall. The boys are 16.2hh and 17hh but very short coupled (6'3rugs) and don't have high head carriages.

I think I might be able to raise the roof as its a pitch roofed garage but not sure how much that will cost. Obviously horse safety is paramount but our budget is limited (land needs a lot of work and arena needs sorting) and just wondering if the roof will be ok? And if not, does anyone know how much this kind of work might cost?

Thanks (also posted in NL)
 
how exciting - you must be so pleased to be able to keep at home.

having got new stables built myself - my advice is to get as big as possible - so would go for as higher a roof as possible - will help with ventilation as much as anything else.

Prices can vary a lot - would suggest getting at 2 or 3 quotes from reputable and experienced companies.
:)
 
I'm trying hard to visualise it but if you are going to put in a dividing wall could the roof of the garage be adjusted to remove cross beams somehow so while not raising the actual roof you get a better useable space?

I think if you go mucking about with the roof line you'll find planning a problem again
 
WelshD said:
I'm trying hard to visualise it but if you are going to put in a dividing wall could the roof of the garage be adjusted to remove cross beams somehow so while not raising the actual roof you get a better useable space?

I think if you go mucking about with the roof line you'll find planning a problem again
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That's kind of what I was thinking- remove some of the cross beams and kind of move them up if that makes sense? But I have no idea if that can be done or how much it costs :confused:
 
You do realise that you still need planning consent for change of use if the orginal construction was covered by a planning application stipulating that it was a garage?


ps I think your roof is a bit low at 8 inches :D
 
cptrayes said:
You do realise that you still need planning consent for change of use if the orginal construction was covered by a planning application stipulating that it was a garage?


ps I think your roof is a bit low at 8 inches :D
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I thought " meant feet! You learn something new everyday!

Have checked ref planning and they said that I don't have o do change of use for the garage as its classed as an equine property and we aren't changing the footprint. We would have to apply for PP to put concrete pad and stables down and we know that will be a loooong process. We don't have enough money to pay for livery and the new house so only have 2 week window to get everything done. Eek!
 
Its really hard to picture. I would invite a few stable companies over to see what they suggest. Most of them do free consultations. The local company that built ours would do jobs like that - as they also do repairs etc.
 
PercyMum said:
I thought " meant feet! You learn something new everyday!

Have checked ref planning and they said that I don't have o do change of use for the garage as its classed as an equine property and we aren't changing the footprint. We would have to apply for PP to put concrete pad and stables down and we know that will be a loooong process. We don't have enough money to pay for livery and the new house so only have 2 week window to get everything done. Eek!
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Sounds good. I have kept a 17 hand horse - short backed shortish necked - in a stable with an 8 foot ceiling and had no problems at all.

one pip for feet, two pips for inches :D
 
I'd be surprised if you didn't need any planning permission as you will be presumably changing the garage doors for some infill and stable doors which will change the look of the building

I hope you don't I'm just expressing surprise that's all!
 
Maybe go down?

This will proably be alot of work with digging up the concrete and the foundations but its a thought if you cant change the look of the property from the out side or change the roof.
 
WelshD said:
I'd be surprised if you didn't need any planning permission as you will be presumably changing the garage doors for some infill and stable doors which will change the look of the building

I hope you don't I'm just expressing surprise that's all!
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Me too! But thats what he said so I didnt ask any more questions and just said thanks very much and scarpered!!!

blucanoo1990 said:
Maybe go down?

This will proably be alot of work with digging up the concrete and the foundations but its a thought if you cant change the look of the property from the out side or change the roof.
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Hmm, think that might be a bit too much what with digger hire, concrete pouring etc. I think I can raise the roof without changing the exterior. If you imagine the triangular cross pieces of a roof, I basically want to chop the bottom part of the triangle off and move it up by a couple of feet ('!!! - thanks CPT :D) and rebolt it on. I'm hoping this will maintain the structural integrity but give me the head height i need. And I won't have to do it for all of them, just the ones in the middle of the stables. Hope that makes sense?

Although having said that, CPT thinks it might be ok so I might put the big lad in and see how he looks...
 
Why not get a mobile field shelter, then apply for planning for what you need with the luxury of more time. When we moved in we had a 12 by 24 split into two stables with gates on the front and metal skids - worked perfectly as 2 stables for a whole winter while we debated with planning.
We just put straw beds down onto soil but you could easily use rubber mats.
It was £3.5k and is now (5 years on) still in perfect condition - I was going to sell it but the boys like it to keep out of the flys in the summer.
 
Polos Mum said:
Why not get a mobile field shelter, then apply for planning for what you need with the luxury of more time. When we moved in we had a 12 by 24 split into two stables with gates on the front and metal skids - worked perfectly as 2 stables for a whole winter while we debated with planning.
We just put straw beds down onto soil but you could easily use rubber mats.
It was £3.5k and is now (5 years on) still in perfect condition - I was going to sell it but the boys like it to keep out of the flys in the summer.
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Great idea but both paddocks are sloping and not particularly well-drained so the ground and the stables will get trashed and it will be a horrrid mess. Fab idea but don't think it would work where we are :(
 
PercyMum said:
Me too! But thats what he said so I didnt ask any more questions and just said thanks very much and scarpered!!!



Hmm, think that might be a bit too much what with digger hire, concrete pouring etc. I think I can raise the roof without changing the exterior. If you imagine the triangular cross pieces of a roof, I basically want to chop the bottom part of the triangle off and move it up by a couple of feet ('!!! - thanks CPT :D) and rebolt it on. I'm hoping this will maintain the structural integrity but give me the head height i need. And I won't have to do it for all of them, just the ones in the middle of the stables. Hope that makes sense?

Although having said that, CPT thinks it might be ok so I might put the big lad in and see how he looks...
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To move the trusses, you need a builder to come and look at it and tell you. Together they are keeping the roof up and the walls from bowing, so don't move them without a builder looking at it. Moving them up means less support for the bottom of the roof fundamentally. They aren't there for decoration.

Our house has raised trusses to give us lots of headroom, but it required a Lot of other measures to be taken to compensate in terms of support.

It would only take a builder 5 mins and the work might not be expensive with a 1 storey garage but forum peeps can't say it is safe to move them.

I too would do the field shelter, could use earth and railway sleepers to level the ground.
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
To move the trusses, you need a builder to come and look at it and tell you. Together they are keeping the roof up and the walls from bowing, so don't move them without a builder looking at it. Moving them up means less support for the bottom of the roof fundamentally. They aren't there for decoration.

Our house has raised trusses to give us lots of headroom, but it required a Lot of other measures to be taken to compensate in terms of support.

It would only take a builder 5 mins and the work might not be expensive with a 1 storey garage but forum peeps can't say it is safe to move them.

I too would do the field shelter, could use earth and railway sleepers to level the ground.
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Thanks - we would use a builder and of course get advice but I just wondered if anyone had an idea if this was possible and if there was an approximate price. And you have answered the first part, so thank you very much :D. At least I can now go to a builder and not sound like a total loony....
 
for a quick easy option i would go for a mobile stable unit of 2 stables on skids within the garden curtilage as a short term option, then you can plan/consult/build/change roof etc in a more leisurely manner. less likely to make costly mistakes this way. i would also get the planning officer to confirm in writing that you do not need change of use pl p for the garage into stables.Good luck.
 
Am sure you could find an acceptable solution to the ground under and around mobile stables.
Wouldn't think you want to rush garage alteration, even assuming you could find good builder to complete work at short notice.
If you do go for mobile stables on skids as temporary solution, you could sell them easily afterwards. Second hand ones are like hen's teeth and much sought after.
 
height wise, i keep a 17.2 TB on livery in an 8 foot high stable - its not ideal but its also OK. I have to be aware of it, ie don't try and worm him in there as he will put his head up and knock it! But I have never seen him knock his head by himself, he seems to know where the roof is and easily avoids it. So we both cope with it but if i was building a stable for him I would make it higher :)
 
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