Agricultural land

[hayleyandtom]

Hello,

could someone advise what the rules are on what you can and cant do with agricultural land? Can you fence it off? What can you put on it...sheds etc? We have purchased a piece of land from the local farmer and want to incorporate it into our garden. Plan to put chickens on it etc Also what are the chances of local council approving planning permission for change of use to change it into a "garden"?!


many thanks

 

[cjard]

There isn't a planning use class for garden specifically. To become a garden it would need to become incorporated within the curtilage of the property. You're unlikely to succeed if it is any significant size because it would then assume the developed land status associated with the house, and you could apply for more houses on it

You currently may engage your land in: "horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, dairy farming, the breeding and keeping of livestock (including any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur, or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land) the use of land as grazing land, meadow land, osier land, market gardens and nursery grounds and the use of land for woodlands where that use is ancillary to the farming of land for other agricultural purposes.”

You may not erect buildings other than temporary portable sheds for agricultural purposes.. And you might have to take them down or move them regularly round the field (yearly). Don't think anyone will mind about a chicken run though. You may graze horses, but not engage in equestrian use (paddocks, ménages, stables etc) without planning

You should fence it off, in agreement with the farmer as to where the boundary is, for legal reasons. The plans lodged with the land registry (the farmer should have sent in a tp1 form to transfer part of his land to you ) cannot be used to determine boundary position. If part of the deal was to let the farmers sheep wander over your land and cut the grass, you should still put the posts in if not the fence, to define the boundary