Need for planning permission or not?

[Conor13]

Hi there is a piece of land 0.45 acres, the description says formally a quarry, part of it has been tarmaced, people in the past have used this bit of tarmac to pull in on as the land is next to a road. I want to use the land to place storage containers on and use for storage purposes. I have contacted my local council but they won't actually tell me if I need planning permission or not as I can't even find out the current planning use that the land has, the council has said I need to pay to find out, isn't anything free these days, arghhhh.

Can anyone help or advise what to do next or possibly give their opinion as if I need planning permission.

Thanks

 

[^woody^]

If you put your containers there, the council will tell you for free.

You should be able to find out use class of any land for free by asking the planners, checking the local plan or visting the council office or library

 

[Conor13]

If you put your containers there, the council will tell you for free.

You should be able to find out use class of any land for free by asking the planners, checking the local plan or visting the council office or library

Hi woody thanks for replying so soon.

They want me to pay £120 for a planning search history on the land to find the planning use. Ridiculous

 

[^woody^]

All planning decisions should be online - normally with a map to click on the bit of land. If there are none recorded and it was as you say a quarry, then that use will prevail. A quarry is B4 use, your sheds would be storage and distribution which is B8 use. You are allowed to change use within the same use class (B), so you could potentially do what you propose.

But as with most things to do with planning and business, you may need specialist local advice.

 

[Conor13]

All planning decisions should be online - normally with a map to click on the bit of land. If there are none recorded and it was as you say a quarry, then that use will prevail. A quarry is B4 use, your sheds would be storage and distribution which is B8 use. You are allowed to change use within the same use class (B), so you could potentially do what you propose.

But as with most things to do with planning and business, you may need specialist local advice.

Hi again woody, thanks for your time.

I looked up the classes and it says this

Class B4 – special industrial group B

Class B4 relates to certain types of metal works, although not those carried out in a quarry or mine (or adjacent to one).


So would you say quarry does come under that?

Thanks again

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Hi woody thanks for replying so soon.

They want me to pay £120 for a planning search history on the land to find the planning use. Ridiculous

You will likely be able to find out what you want for free from the council by completing a Freedom of Information request, I think all councils will have the form to complete available online eg https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/home/council/dataandinformation/freedominformationfoi , it will take a few weeks but will be free, be very specific in what you wish to find out as they will only answer specific answers to specific questions.

woody, the interactive maps down here vary in what can be gleaned from them, some are exhaustive, some are absolutely useless but agree worth a shot.

 

[Nakajo]

I think a quarry is, as they say, sui generis