Planning permission to extend stables.

[Nbuuifx]

Hi, I hope someone can help. I've tried googling but I'm not really finding what I need.

We've found a field that we may be able to purchase. It is a bit smaller than we wanted but should be affordable. It is only a couple of minutes from our house.

It comes with a 'stable' - the building is a concrete base with brick/concrete block walls and what looks like asbestos roofing. Inside the building it is partitioned into three with brick walls and stable doors.

The only problem is that the building is a bit low. The ridge height is only just over 8' with the eaves being around 6'8".

By removing the partitioning walls and rejigging. I could make it into 2 stables of around 14' * 10' each. Ridge height would be in the centre of each stable. The doorway in would be directly under the ridge.

First question is that high enough for a couple of 15 hand cobs?

Second, would it require planning permission to raise the walls by a foot or two and replace the asbestos with new roofing?

Thirdly, looking on old maps there used to be an open fronted hay storage area joined to the side of the stable. This must have fallen down in the last few years. Can this be rebuilt without planning.

Final question, the land is only about 1.5 acres. Would we get away with it for two horses, given that they can go to the in-laws. Temporarily every so often to give the land a break. They can also be stables some of the time with hay.

Plenty of places to hack out for exercise too.

 

[PeterNatt]

I would advise getting a Planning Consultant or Surveyor to have a chat with the local Planners and see if you need Planning Consent. That way when you come to sell it you will have vthe correct documentation in place. As regards the 1.5 Acres this depends on the soil, lay of the land, drainage and type of grass and also if the gateways have been hardcoured correctly.

 

[Nbuuifx]

It is a single paddock. I has a drainage ditch along the road adjacent to it. The gateway is concreted which forms a bridge over the ditch and entrance into the field. The land is flat. No idea on the soil but the surrounding fields are lush grass. The 1.5 acres are a single paddock so there aren't any other gateways. We would need to divide it to stop them eating all the grass and rotate.

I looked into the local planning officer but they won't even discuss anything without a payment.

 

[White Horse2]

You're overthrowing it, just buy it overthinking!!!!

 

[Polos Mum]

Almost everything needs permission - putting back a previous building is easier than getting one from scratch.

However many people do not bother - it depends on whether you are prepared to take a risk.

A mobile field shelter with gates on the front which can be used as stables (rubber matting floor) would also work for you, then you could use the low building for storage.

Replacing the roof material, if with material that looks the same shouldn't be a problem at all - the change of height is but unless you have unhappy neighbours or a council with nothing better to do I can't imagine anyone would know.

Our neighbour has built a 5 bed house in the wrong place vs. the plans he submitted (right up against the boundary wall when it should have been set back to allow trees to be planted around it ) The council have told me it's likely 2 years before they can visit to check whether he's breached the plans

 

[Orangehorse]

1.5 acres isn't big, but especially with cobs it should be doable - see previous posts about keeping horses on small acreage. You could put in a track system for summer and open up the field in winter. I think you would need to think about feeding hay a lot of the year. Obviously have to poo pick every day too.

Keeping a horse in a corral and feeding hay all year round is very common in the USA for instance, even at studs with mares and foals.

As for planning, I think the days of free advice from Councils has gone so you might just have to pay up and get the proper advice. Think very carefully of how you word your questions, and emphasise that there is a building there already. As already stated, a temporary, moveable field shelter might suit you better anyway, but check there aren't any restrictions on those if it is a sensitive area.

 

[Nbuuifx]

Thanks for the replies, the area is greenbelt but isn't particularly sensitive. It is down a long lane with three houses and a commercial premises along the lane.

We do poo pick every day, and they are used to having hay regularly on their current land.