Planning permission - Eek!

[D66]

In the application talk about hygiene and animal welfare, any example of how your horses may be particularly vulnerable will be useful.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Thanks for the input guys I really am going to push for concrete, at the end of the day I don't want to be spending my money on gravel that I don't want, and I really don't think would work out in the long term, for many reasons, so I'm going to go with the info overload, a lot of justification, and highlighting the yard next door and across the road's use of concrete for precedent, good idea for going with hygiene angle suelin, I will highlight that point too

Think I'll be spending this weekend fine tuning this proposal! Thanks for everyone's input, I have found some great ideas, feeling more positive now, so glad I asked in here for advice

If any of the councillors (who will have the final say if the officer recommends refusal of the application) have horses or have partners who do, then those people will be able to tell the other councillors what a pointless waste of time any other surface than concrete would be, especially on a site that's hidden by hedges.

So if you are advised that they are recommending refusal I would get in touch with your local councillors and bend their ear nicely....

 

[LynH]

A friend of mine has a really smart yard and the centre of his yard is tarmac rather than concrete. The stables are on concrete but what is visible is Tarmac as the planners didn't like concrete. It is really nicely done with bricks around the edge and between the concrete and Tarmac. It might be worth asking if this is a possibility as it would be very easy to keep clean.
The previous owners of our property had three applications turned down before using a planning consultant who managed to get a large yard and barn approved. I've since reapplied for a different configuration and an additional large field shelter with no problems.

 

[Zebedee]

Why not go ahead with the gravel and then when things have settled down have the stables concreted inside and no one need know. Oops did I really say that?

 

[Honey08]

Oh how annoying! Planners like these drive me mad. We went through all this when we built our yard. I remember at one point threatening to buy seven old lorries and parking them in a row to use as stables - perfectly legal but very ugly, unless they were a bit more helpful in my planning application to build a small yard of wooden stables which would have hundreds of new trees planted around it!!In the end they compromised with me. So many people round here build without permission (wooden sheds, stables and shelters) and I can't blame them at all. The ironic thing is, they never ever came and inspected the yard once it was built, we've even added two portables to the yard and a lot of hardcore and chippings for a turnout area. Nobody has ever noticed or complained.

If they really were still set on you not having concrete (and I think the argument that other neighbouring yards already have it is a winner) I would lay the crush that they want, get it all passed, then scrape it out and concrete, using what you have scraped out to make a mud free corner of the field or to mud-proof gateways.

 

[sport horse]

At least you do not have any old buildings to remove so do not need to heed the warning of 'if you see a bat get rid of it/them before you apply for planning!!' Only joking......

 

[pottamus]

I have not read all the reponses so sorry if I am repeating. We are in the process of building ours having got planning permission and it was deemed unsuitable for us to have a large concrete area in front of the stables...this seems to be what your planners have issue with and I am not surprised. We have got planning based on concrete for stables only and about a metre in front for the overhang on the roof. The rest in front of the stable we have used a hardcore base and then topped the top two inches with limestone, which will set hard and firm with some use and rain on it. They were fine with that and it serves the same purpose.

 

[Clava]

You need an architect who knows about keeping horses who can discuss things with the planners and counter arguments.

Inside stables and where it is not visible it will not be an issue to planners, outside it is possible to use concrete with coloured aggregates to have less visual impact.

 

[Dry Rot]

Is your area (or lower down) prone to flooding? Planners are not keen on concrete because in a storm the water runs off quickly and over burdens the drains. They then back up causing floods. Maybe your area won't contribute much extra but it all adds up.

Another one for paving slabs. You will need a hardcore base for concrete anyway. Just lay slabs over hardcore and later, when the metaphorical dust has settled, lay your concrete if you still want to.

 

[frostyfingers]

I have built 2 sets of stables, one in a more "public" location which required a track across a field, the other was behind our house and much more private. For the first yard we dug down a little and banked the earth around the edges so that the concrete was hardly visible to the people who lived next to the field. Second time round I had a concrete pad under the stables, and wide enough for a horse tied up outside to stand on - the remainder of the yard had big stones, rubble then hard core compacted with chunky woodchip over the top. The chip had to be replaced every other year (but was collected from sawmill so not expensive) and it was a really useful area. If drainage seems to be an issue offer to put in a soakaway.

 

[Buzzad]

Thanks everyone, there's some really good tips here that I'm going to incorporate into my application

 

[LynH]

The planning permission that came with my property had a really good design and access statement written by an equestrian architect. I'd be happy for you to look at it if it would help. I don't think it specifically deals with the concrete issue that you have but it was the first successful application made on the property after 3-4 refusals. It would give you all the relevant policies that need to be met etc.
PM me if you want a link to my planning applications online at our local council.