planning permission for timber houses on rural land

[cozican]

I would like to know if i can erect a timber house on rural farm land without planning permission, and if planning permission is needed, how hard is it to get it? I have seen some land in oxfordshire for sale, with a grant to plant 4 acres of trees, would i be able to put an eco friendly timber bungalow on this land?

[fredpuli47]

It doesn't matter what a bungalow is made of, it's still a dwelling!
You need planning permission. Nobody on AB can predict, with accuracy, whether you'll get it but your case does not inspire confidence. It sounds as though this is a truly rural area. You may ask yourself whether anyone selling it would do so without getting planning permission first. After all, land with planning permission is worth in the order of one million pounds an acre. Agricultural land is worth only a few thousand pounds an acre.

[Jugglering1]

As Fred says, you do need planning permission for a permanent residence. Why not ring up the planning department of your local council and speak to them - they are human and quite approachable you know.... If you went ahead and built this dwelling without permission - at great expense no doubt - then they could insist on you removing it - at even greater expense ! If there are grants available for tree planting, then I doubt very much that you would get permission for a dwelling instead. Sorry !