Keeping horses on agricultural land

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Horseymum1

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I’m buying a cottage with 3 acres of paddock in South west currently classified as agricultural. I want to keep my riding pony on it . Shall I just quietly go ahead or shall I go through official process and apply for change of use to equestrian..?
Not planning any changes just want to keep my native there and ride him around the excellent local bridleway network. For context neighbours have stables arena and horses. It’s extremely quiet place very rural and nothing except countryside adjoining the field.
 
My friend just had a horrible man from the council( very condescending ) to say she needs to apply for change of use .
A complaint had been put in .

She’s been there 7 yrs and never had an issue , she has recently got a new neighbour so figure it’s probably them .
 
Follysmum said:
My friend just had a horrible man from the council( very condescending ) to say she needs to apply for change of use .
A complaint had been put in .

She’s been there 7 yrs and never had an issue , she has recently got a new neighbour so figure it’s probably them .
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Was that just for keeping a horse on a field or had she built structures and taken on liveries etc?
 
I looked into this when I was having my arena built, as that part of my field needed to have its use changed from agricultural to equestrian. The basic rules are around whether you are using the land for grazing, and not supplementing (eg feeding hay in the field), and riding in the field. The council (West Berkshire) came out when I was getting pp for the arena, and didn't mention anything at all about the remainder of the field. I have both supplemented grazing and ridden in my field, but I think it would take a very mean spirited neighbour to report you.

This is a useful summary: https://www.walkermorris.co.uk/comm...r-the-keeping-of-horses-on-agricultural-land/
 
I am in the same situation, i bought agricultural land and put my donkeys on it, with porous hardstanding and mobile field shelters. I had a visit from the enforcement officer who said i need PP for the porous hardstanding (google said i didn't, as did the builders who did it, they have done a lot of the surrounding fields). he wasn't worried about the field shelters or donkeys. However when Council planner got involved they have said i needed to change of use to equine, so all paperwork for retrospective permission has been done and submitted.
Today i have heard my mobile shelters will also need PP, even though enforcement officer had said they were ok and had signed them off ! I gather the Council has quoted cases to my planner where appeals from equine owners have been heard and lost, therefore setting a precedent that they will need PP. Not happy.

If you apply for change of use BEFORE putting horses on it you will need to pay for a BNG report ( Biodiversity Net Gain) if applying for retrospect permission this cost doesn't apply.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
The easiest way to get round all the hassle is to put some sheep on the land. Sheep need storage for forage/feed etc and may need shelter too.
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That's what i thought, but in an email the enforcement officer stated the equines should be able to be removed at any point, and go to an equine 'base', not stay on that field all year. I think i might be in a jobsworth area as most of the horse people I know do not have equine fields. The enforcement officer only initially came to look at the field shelters following 1 complaint, and the rest has just escalated.
 
nagblagger said:
I am in the same situation, i bought agricultural land and put my donkeys on it, with porous hardstanding and mobile field shelters. I had a visit from the enforcement officer who said i need PP for the porous hardstanding (google said i didn't, as did the builders who did it, they have done a lot of the surrounding fields). he wasn't worried about the field shelters or donkeys. However when Council planner got involved they have said i needed to change of use to equine, so all paperwork for retrospective permission has been done and submitted.
Today i have heard my mobile shelters will also need PP, even though enforcement officer had said they were ok and had signed them off ! I gather the Council has quoted cases to my planner where appeals from equine owners have been heard and lost, therefore setting a precedent that they will need PP. Not happy.

If you apply for change of use BEFORE putting horses on it you will need to pay for a BNG report ( Biodiversity Net Gain) if applying for retrospect permission this cost doesn't apply.
Click to expand...

As soon as you start doing hardstanding and field shelters then you are entering the zone of change of use / planning I’m afraid, some councils are obv more relaxed than others and busy body neighbours may also poke bear.

I bought 6 acres of agricultural, but because I wanted large hardstanding and shelters I had to go down COU, BNG, PP route. Had I just wanted to use it as undeveloped grazing I wouldn’t have needed that.
 
The irony is, if I didn't apply for retrospect change of use to equine, the field shelters were fine if it remained agricultural. Equine owners are being penalised, I daren't ask the farmer what type of land my ponies are on - for the last 15 years!
 
ihatework said:
As soon as you start doing hardstanding and field shelters then you are entering the zone of change of use / planning I’m afraid, some councils are obv more relaxed than others and busy body neighbours may also poke bear.

I bought 6 acres of agricultural, but because I wanted large hardstanding and shelters I had to go down COU, BNG, PP route. Had I just wanted to use it as undeveloped grazing I wouldn’t have needed that.
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Interesting,
I’m not wanting to build anything though!
 
nagblagger said:
That's what i thought, but in an email the enforcement officer stated the equines should be able to be removed at any point, and go to an equine 'base', not stay on that field all year. I think i might be in a jobsworth area as most of the horse people I know do not have equine fields. The enforcement officer only initially came to look at the field shelters following 1 complaint, and the rest has just escalated.
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Really? Why would that be the case if your agri sheep are also permanent residents?
That argument only makes sense if the sheep numbers fluctuate and they disappear for a while, because then the primary use would no longer be in the agri category. Or possibly if the patch of land has become so extremely degraded it is a welfare issue to keep horses there any longer. Just sounds like a money spinner for the L.A!
 
nagblagger said:
I am in the same situation, i bought agricultural land and put my donkeys on it, with porous hardstanding and mobile field shelters. I had a visit from the enforcement officer who said i need PP for the porous hardstanding (google said i didn't, as did the builders who did it, they have done a lot of the surrounding fields). he wasn't worried about the field shelters or donkeys. However when Council planner got involved they have said i needed to change of use to equine, so all paperwork for retrospective permission has been done and submitted.
Today i have heard my mobile shelters will also need PP, even though enforcement officer had said they were ok and had signed them off ! I gather the Council has quoted cases to my planner where appeals from equine owners have been heard and lost, therefore setting a precedent that they will need PP. Not happy.

If you apply for change of use BEFORE putting horses on it you will need to pay for a BNG report ( Biodiversity Net Gain) if applying for retrospect permission this cost doesn't apply.
Click to expand...
If your shelters are on skids (mobile, therefore not permanent structures, and some jobsworth authorities actually want evidence these are occasionally moved about), there shouldn’t be an issue - horses or sheep.
Hard standing is regarded as a permanent change to the surface, so is different.
Mobile shelter onto flattish grassland, mud mats in first, stable mats on top of them, bedding as appropriate - all this is non-permanent.
Eg. On his own green belt fields, opposite side of road to urban fringe, the then MFH erected mobile stables for four big horses. There was already a large barn. Lots of fuss, because obviously lots of householders could see all these within their rural vista, but he complied as above and allowed 15 sheep full rein.
Ten years later were converted to beautiful stone built boxes with slate roofs, fully plumbed in, around a neat little yard, and Zoopla valuation is off the scale.
 
Horseymum1 said:
I’m buying a cottage with 3 acres of paddock in South west currently classified as agricultural. I want to keep my riding pony on it . Shall I just quietly go ahead or shall I go through official process and apply for change of use to equestrian..?
Not planning any changes just want to keep my native there and ride him around the excellent local bridleway network. For context neighbours have stables arena and horses. It’s extremely quiet place very rural and nothing except countryside adjoining the field.
Click to expand...

If it has been used for horses at any point in the past it may help to get the sellers to share any evidence they have of that - copy photos or hay delivery receipts or something. Then if (big and unlikely IF) someone with nothing better to do made a fuss you have evidence of past use.

Ours was a livery yard for more than a decade before we bought it with school, hay barns, stallion boxes and 17 stables - non of which had planning and the land is still technically agricultural. -
 
nagblagger said:
The irony is, if I didn't apply for retrospect change of use to equine, the field shelters were fine if it remained agricultural. Equine owners are being penalised, I daren't ask the farmer what type of land my ponies are on - for the last 15 years!
Click to expand...
With some sheep the shelters would remain agricultural. Of course the horses can be removed, they are not welded to the ground. I would be strongly tempted to complain to the planning officer's manager and I would certainly ask to see that policy written down. I have experience of jobsworths making up their own regulations. I won.
 
I have 2 horses and a pony on 10.5 acres agricultural land.

I also have sheep graze the land, and I have just got a pet goat (he’s good for brambles and stinging nettles)

No problems from neighbours or local villagers. I have 2 stables and a storage container with a hardcored drive
 
Pearlsasinger said:
With some sheep the shelters would remain agricultural. Of course the horses can be removed, they are not welded to the ground. I would be strongly tempted to complain to the planning officer's manager and I would certainly ask to see that policy written down. I have experience of jobsworths making up their own regulations. I won.
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Unfortunately it is the donkeys only field. I have had all the council paperwork quotes. Now I'm just keeping my head down and get the permissions, if I get refused watch this space!!
 
nagblagger said:
Unfortunately it is the donkeys only field. I have had all the council paperwork quotes. Now I'm just keeping my head down and get the permissions, if I get refused watch this space!!
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Can imagine how you’re feeling, bureaucrats! but I agree with Pearlsasinger, and think you’re being taken for an expensive headache of a ride.
Good luck.
 
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