Planning permission for stables. Please help!!

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Acb101

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Hi I am buying an acre of land and want two 12 x 12ft stables on skids putting in the field with a 40 ft x 30ft hardcore base to make it solid and level. Also the hardcore yard area will be my winter turnout. I know that stables on skids don't need planning permission due to them being classed as portable but I am still worrying about moving my horse there, then someone complaining to the council. Does anyone have any experience with this please? Thanks in advance :)
 
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Depending on your council, you may well need PP for the hardcore area too. With only an acre to include grazing and stables/hardcore, I'm not sure if they would think you had enough land for 2 stables, as they will assume 2 stables = 2 horses. Will you not be getting another for company?

Would it be possible to ring the planner and ask for advice?
 
Thank you for the advice. I will ring council tomorrow and start the ball rolling. The second stable was going to be for my hay, straw, feed etc. He will be alone but be able to see neighbouring horses
 
An acre of land is only 65m by 65m. For me, that's not enough, and he shouldn't be on his own unless he is a horse who hates the company of other horses and they are not common.
 
I suspect you'd need planning for the hardcore, and if they find out it's to put the "portable"stables on, they'll probably try to treat those as permanent as well.

I wouldn't want to try keeping a horse on less than an acre all year round, and I'd worry that you won't have control over the "company" - which could disappear at any time, and doesn't really sound adequate even when it's there. What if you find he can't cope after all the money and hassle (even if you do get permission?)

Personally I'd be looking for a different field with stables in situ, or I'd stay at livery.
 
badge it as summer turnout area - have a field shelter divided into two, one side for feed etc the other for shelter and enclosure for better management/health reasons. Hardcore area is for visiting vehicles, to prevent degrading the turf, and farrier/vet visits - animal health.
You may/will probably still need livery in winter.
 
What is the soil type? It makes a huge difference. At the last place I had less than one and a half acres but the land was excellent free-draining sandy soil. Here I have over 5 acres of clay soil and in many ways the 1.3 acres was much more useful.
 
Talk to your local planners - they will have the answers, rather than speculation, so you know exactly where you stand. They all interpret the rules differently, for example with my manege, they regarded it as engineering works (!!) and that was a first for the man who was applying for it for me. I just rang mine when it came to stables - they said they do accept that animals need housing so that was less of an issue than I thought.
Be aware that if the land hasn't been used for horses before it will probably need change of use too.
 
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I recently moved and put a double field shelter on skids in the field. I was immediately reported for building stables. On contacting the planners it's was allowed as long as I moved it every 3 months. I also wanted a hardstanding area and so needed planning permission for it (and if I put the field shelters on it). I know people tho have done it and not been reported. However if you are you would need it in retrospect. It took 8 weeks to go through.
 
D66 said:
badge it as summer turnout area - have a field shelter divided into two, one side for feed etc the other for shelter and enclosure for better management/health reasons. Hardcore area is for visiting vehicles, to prevent degrading the turf, and farrier/vet visits - animal health.
You may/will probably still need livery in winter.
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That does not stop you needing PP for hardcore area.
 
I have just lost my old horse which is why he is on his own ATM. It's not forever hopefully but for now he is ok. Thanks for everyone's replies. I will go and see the council today.
 
I would instruct a reputable local land surveyor to act on your behalf to obtain planning permission for the stables and hard standing. If this was previously agricultural land then you will also need planning permission for change of use from agricultural to equestrian.
 
PeterNatt said:
I would instruct a reputable local land surveyor to act on your behalf to obtain planning permission for the stables and hard standing. If this was previously agricultural land then you will also need planning permission for change of use from agricultural to equestrian.
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my land is still classed as agricultural and planning has gone through for stables and hard standing for horses. I had to pay the fee for horses (more than agricultural) but they haven't asked for change of use. The clause simply says I can only use it for horses privately not livery or business in any way.
 
There are two choices one talk to your planning department who will put up all sorts of problems other choice do it await for them to serve an enforcement notice(if they still have an enforcement officer) then go to appeal ast it seems around here most appeals are succesful.
 
Acb101 said:
I have just lost my old horse which is why he is on his own ATM. It's not forever hopefully but for now he is ok. Thanks for everyone's replies. I will go and see the council today.
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I'm sorry to hear that, but if you're planning on a second at some point you'll be very stretched keeping two on that set up.

See what the planners say.
 
I put my stables on a hardcore pad with yard bit out the front. Didnt need planning for the hardcore but did for the stables. Mine arent on skids but they are purely wood construction with no foundations so in theory if I got a crane they could be movable... But mine were 3 very large stables big so size-wise Id have needed PP anyway. Id just check with your local council, better to be safe. Do you have many neighbours? If its a hidden field then I probably wouldnt bother.
 
Our council recently refused a planning app from someone who wanted to put two mobile stables on just over an acre on the grounds that it didn't follow guidelines for acreage per horse.

We have had mobile stables here in the past, and the planner who visited said that they were ok as long as there was no hardcore or concrete and they could be moved.
 
The only stable application that has been refused in my area recently was stables on 1 acre of land.
The reasoning was that it was too small an amount of land to keep horses without welfare issue or becoming a nuisance to those around it.
The appeal failed as well.
 
sywell said:
There are two choices one talk to your planning department who will put up all sorts of problems other choice do it await for them to serve an enforcement notice(if they still have an enforcement officer) then go to appeal ast it seems around here most appeals are succesful.
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Dreadful advice. If retrospective planning is rejected you will be forced to remove everything & put it to as it was previously.
Not worth the risk when most planning departments have free or very cheap consultations.
 
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