Stables in the garden

nagblagger said:
I think the council do turn a blind eye, but if it is brought to their attention, as in my case, they have to act, as it is law. The irony was they visited my field as someone complained about my field shelters, which are on skids, so the enforcement officer was not at all concerned about them, but obviously saw the donkeys etc., hence the retrospect planning permission application.

Sorry have gone off at a tangent, but frustrated as going through the process.
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Sorry to hear someone complained.

We had the same - it really burst's your bubble when your excited about improving things for yourself and your animals. The guy that attended our place said they only act on reports as they aren't staffed enough to actively police themselves. I'm assuming it's the same county council as you are dealing with.

They were happy that we removed the caravan that was complained about (acutally the complaint was about a caravan in a neighbouring property which is still there, but we got the notice as ours was more visable), but they then went on to want a change of use (agri to equine) and PP for the shipping containers we use for storage. It was pretty straight forward as we could prove continued use for over 5 ( i think) years for that purpose and the siting of the containers. Lucky he came when he did as I had plans to move both containers to make a proper 'yard' and keep everything together, which would nautrally have made everything more complicated. So we managed to get a certificate of lawful use on the containers and the change of use quite easily.

Honestly OP - I wouldn't speak to any of the neighbours. I'd pop a couple of shelters on skids in your field with mud control mats for a yard and just get on and enjoy your horses in your lovely new property. Very few 'normal' people understand the planning laws around use for grazing so unless you draw their attention to it your neighbours will likely never know. As long as your not bothering anyone (or in my case get caught in a neighbourly dispute unintentionally) you'll likely get left alone. I think your more likely to get bother putting something in your garden than in a field.
 
lauraxxx said:
Thank you, I’m hoping planning on the garden rather than in the land which is classes as agriculture would be easier and more straightforward. If you don’t mind me asking, how much did the planning cost roughly?
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Depending on the amount of land, if you put some sheep on the land, you don't need change of use and it's better for the grazing, as horses are such selective grazers. You could maybe even share the sheep with your neighbours.
 
Yes I did. But I dont live at that property now. It was brilliant. We didnt have turnout but had the use of a paddock about quarter of a mile away. We just led them there am and then back pm. It was really handy. Eta we lived in a national park and pp was applied for. A friend who did similar told us that there us an old law which stipulates that stables can be erected in gardens,ie the council has to give pp. What they can do is stipulate the materials to build in. Ours had to be stone, so we put in pp for breeze block and stone clad. Roof is slate. A friend had building regs to comply with too as hers were very close to the house. So,it is doable but there maybe a couple of hoops to jump through. Another friend who already had wooden sfabling put jn pp for a manege. Pp was denighed but she went to appeal and it was granted. Again in a national park where its very difficult to get pp for anything.
 
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A freind of mine had stables built in the garden. Hergraxing was eleewhere and she transorted the ponies daily to it and back. There was a set minimum distance from the closest neighbour and conditions on muck removal , but other than that it was straightforward .
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Depending on the amount of land, if you put some sheep on the land, you don't need change of use and it's better for the grazing, as horses are such selective grazers. You could maybe even share the sheep with your neighbours.
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Yep, a fleecy, mini flock solves a multitude of such issues! And often quite fun to have about. Needs to be genuine agricultural animals which are co grazing, though, not camelids
 
exracehorse said:
I remember when we were buying a horse with agricultural land attached. Our solicitor said we would need change of use. We could put our horses on the field. But we’re absolutely NOT allowed to ride them!
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So true, I have a bridleway on the land and was advised ' technically' I couldn't ride on it until it gets changed to equine. Not that anyone would report me for that and would love to go to court to fight it if the council did try and prosecute. Such grey areas in old laws that do need updating.
 
nagblagger said:
So true, I have a bridleway on the land and was advised ' technically' I couldn't ride on it until it gets changed to equine. Not that anyone would report me for that and would love to go to court to fight it if the council did try and prosecute. Such grey areas in old laws that do need updating.
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Your solicitor said that?
You can most definitely ride on the public bridleway, as can other members of the public - ride, cycle and walk on the route - until some formal, legal procedure by the highway authority actually closes that bridleway down.
I think he must have meant that you ‘technically’ shouldn’t have strayed from the public route, and ridden on the rest of your fields unless use was changed.
However, if you are riding through your property as your means of transport (as in, going round to check your livestock / fencing / whatever; as opposed to endless schooling circles or rounds of jumps on that land; that is acceptable under agricultural.
 
I think the problem always is if a neighbour complains. It is one thing having your stable, with your horse smells in your garden, but it is a bit much to impose that on a neighbour, hence they will complain.

If you are far enough from anyone who makes a fuss then you will probably be OK.
 
I looked at a house years ago with stables in the very normal garden, they rented a field out the back of the houses.

I also had 3 stables in the garden of previous house, that were put up under permitted development, which I extended when we moved in. If you follow the rules re how much of the garden you can take up, proximity to boundaries and height restrictions and they are within the curtilage of your garden it's generally fine. There is something about garden buildings being to 'enhance the enjoyment of the property' and garden ponies certainly enhanced mine 😊
 
There was a woman not too far from where I used to live, that had stables in her garden. No big story there, however there was no access to the garden from outside, so she used to take her ponies through the house :oops: A friend of mine in central London, had a next-door neighbour with a stable in their garden. They kept a small pony in it and someone came to ride it out.
 
Beausmate said:
There was a woman not too far from where I used to live, that had stables in her garden. No big story there, however there was no access to the garden from outside, so she used to take her ponies through the house :oops: A friend of mine in central London, had a next-door neighbour with a stable in their garden. They kept a small pony in it and someone came to ride it out.
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Love this
 
Exasperated said:
Your solicitor said that?
You can most definitely ride on the public bridleway, as can other members of the public - ride, cycle and walk on the route - until some formal, legal procedure by the highway authority actually closes that bridleway down.
I think he must have meant that you ‘technically’ shouldn’t have strayed from the public route, and ridden on the rest of your fields unless use was changed.
However, if you are riding through your property as your means of transport (as in, going round to check your livestock / fencing / whatever; as opposed to endless schooling circles or rounds of jumps on that land; that is acceptable under agricultural.
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No the Council planner!
 
nagblagger said:
No the Council planner!
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It's really daft the laws in place on land. Imagine all the farmers over the years that bought their kids a pony or 2 and popped them in 'the pony paddock' on the farm - did that need a planning change as it became solely for the kids ponies or did he pop a sheep or 2 in there when the council turned up? then there's the kids spending hours our in the fields with there ponies riding around and having fun, building jumps etc etc. Would Mr farmer need permission for that too?

When we lived in the Peak district we often had a helicopter go over which 'apparently' was checking for unlawful building etc etc. Doubt they ever checked if horses were wearing rugs in fields that they should not be allowed to wear rugs in.
 
dorsetladette said:
It's really daft the laws in place on land. Imagine all the farmers over the years that bought their kids a pony or 2 and popped them in 'the pony paddock' on the farm - did that need a planning change as it became solely for the kids ponies or did he pop a sheep or 2 in there when the council turned up? then there's the kids spending hours our in the fields with there ponies riding around and having fun, building jumps etc etc. Would Mr farmer need permission for that too?

When we lived in the Peak district we often had a helicopter go over which 'apparently' was checking for unlawful building etc etc. Doubt they ever checked if horses were wearing rugs in fields that they should not be allowed to wear rugs in.
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Although I’m not on ag land, my horse does have a smart new le Mieux rug this year which is precisely mud brown colour. Might be useful.
 
Have kept horses in the garden twice, one in a converted garage in the garden of a 1930's semi, and for twenty years I had two stables and hay store on about a third of an acre plot. Both times I had no complaints from the neighbours.
There can be local planning laws but in the main horses are classed as domestic animals and as long as its within the curtilage of your dwelling its covered by normal planning law.
My neighbour used a converted large garden shed, in her normal sized garden, she had a two acre paddock within walking distance. My stables were brick and had existing planning and were close to the boundary. I used to rent local fields and kept a spaces at grass DIY
The biggest problem is muck, and I used aubiose and pallet compost bins, and then used on the garden.
I think it all depends of the surrounding culture as to if the neighbours are going to complain, where I lived were in the old end of a commuter village and we were are all a bit non standard, horse dealer, donkey lady, and someone who lived in a 18thC thatched cottage with a garden full of 'junk'.
 
honetpot said:
Have kept horses in the garden twice, one in a converted garage in the garden of a 1930's semi, and for twenty years I had two stables and hay store on about a third of an acre plot. Both times I had no complaints from the neighbours.
There can be local planning laws but in the main horses are classed as domestic animals and as long as its within the curtilage of your dwelling its covered by normal planning law.
My neighbour used a converted large garden shed, in her normal sized garden, she had a two acre paddock within walking distance. My stables were brick and had existing planning and were close to the boundary. I used to rent local fields and kept a spaces at grass DIY
The biggest problem is muck, and I used aubiose and pallet compost bins, and then used on the garden.
I think it all depends of the surrounding culture as to if the neighbours are going to complain, where I lived were in the old end of a commuter village and we were are all a bit non standard, horse dealer, donkey lady, and someone who lived in a 18thC thatched cottage with a garden full of 'junk'.
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Last sentence says it all, really! If you’ve the misfortune to be surrounded by ‘Escape - to - the - Country’ - type parvenus, my-own-little-slice-of-idyll idiots; simply bound to cause grief.
 
Cloball said:
My friend had a pony stables in the garden a big lawn and chickens, her Welsh sec A used to stay occasionally before shows etc. I've literally only just realised she lived in a mid terrace and I've no idea how he got in there 🤣
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Horses going through houses to get in and out was not that uncommon. My friend lived in a 19th C urban area, their ponies came through two houses (back to back terrace), and one was fascinated by the television when they got one - would just stop in the hall passage and stare from behind the sofa. There were other horses on their street and neighbourhood, too.
 
Exasperated said:
If needs some type of rug for welfare, it’s not an issue, including newborn lambs, calf coats, etc.
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That's how they identify the different uses. An unrugged horse is a horse grazing which is OK on agri land, a rugged (hayed and fed a bucket feed) is a 'kept' horse which needs 'equestrian use' planning change.

Lambs and calves are livestock and so under the agricultural umbrella.
 
Another slight tangent; how can you tell if your land is ag or eq? We've had horses on our land since we moved here 11 years ago, as did the previous owners who had it for 30 years and built the stables and yard, possibly on the site of earlier buildings. I don't think it even came up when we bought, but we are now looking to sell so it would be useful to have that info. We had a school built a few years ago with full PP and again ag or eq wasn't mentioned at any point.
 
Mind you if you go to parts of Bradford, most people have ponies stabled in their back gardens on a council estate and tether them wherever they like. Think the council has given up trying to do anything about it.
 
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