Living in a Caravan on my own land

[patihan]

I have recently sold my house and have taken a touring caravan to a field I own that has been in my family for many years. On the land are farm buildings where I have been storing some furniture etc for many years.
I intend to obtain planning permisson for the farm building to be converted into a house whilst I live in the Caravan.
The council have now advised me to leave the land within 28 days and remove all of my possessions from the buildings.
The buildings are my own and so is the land.
The caravan is out of sight of any other building so cannot cause an eyesore and is also a touring caravan not a static version.
Is there anything I can do to stop or avoid this unfair action. Thanks in advance.

[aidanb]

If the static has been there for years then you should be able to get a certificate of lawfulness. From what I gather its got to be on the existing static, then you can change it after. Wish I had put a static on some land a few years ago!

[gazza66]

Brilliant forum, did you get the farm building converted in the end Patihan ? Also nice 1 Bevis 1. My question is that i own an ex council end of terrace house with a huge back garden, I have now fenced half of this off and am now renting the house out. In what I call 'my' half I have got a little 5 berth caravan where i go to ' escape'. My son who has just been made homeless wants to stay in it temporary, where do I stand? can he live in it ? or is it the 28 day rule or the one meal rule or should i put some chickens there ?

[bagnally]

Hello everyone. I love this thread. It's great to find like minded people. My husband and I want to spend more time together doing the things we like doing, i.e baking, crafting, growing our food and looking after chickens, goats etc. We have two children (mine, he's the stepdad) who are 17 and 15. My daughter is off to uni next year (hopefully if she doesn't change her mind) and my son......well god knows what he'll do! We have considered getting/buying a piece of land that already has planning permission on it for a dwelling but living in a caravan on it whilst having chickens etc and baking stuff to sell. Perhaps in the future we will build on it, although we are happy to have very little possessions and stay as we are. What is/are the law(s) on doing such a thing? We've even considered what some of you seem to have done and just getting a piece of land that is for agriculture etc but still trying to make a living off of it and live on it in a caravan or even a camper van. How cool would that be then we can move a foot every 28 days!!! lol. Look forward to hearing your views. I don't know you all but I think I love you, especially the lobotomised council man!!! ;-) xx

[aidanb]

The only way you'll legally be able to live permanently in a caravan is looking after animals that need 24/7 attention, chickens don't come under nor do any other normal farm animal. Even then you'll have a fight on your hands plus building of barns etc, large amount of land for grazing - then you are in normal house cost territory.

Go on google earth, look at local farms and see where wasted rough looking land/disused outbuildings are available, away from public footpaths and roads etc.
Approach the farmer, rent the land (I say rent as once bought he may report you!) and put a static/log cabin or whatever on it.

Don't have to lie to people then, buy chickens or whatever that you don't want. If you get caught you aren't in trouble, you're not going to jail so just move on to the next plot.

[bagnally]

Thanks aidanb. We have one or two ideas anyway so we'll just have to put this one on hold or go about it another way. It's so annoying that if you own your own land you can't do what you want with it. I guess money and status count in a big way as I bet if you've got the money and power you can get just about anything you want. x

[aidanb]

Reading back through my last post, it comes off as a bit abrupt sorry.

All I mean is you don't have to worry about making up a business if they can't see you and don't know you are there. It should be possible to rent some land for say £100 top price, get a cheap static for <£1000 and just sort the electric, water and sewage out.

[goldflight]

I'm about to do the same with a static and anticipate a few council problems. What I'm having trouble with at the moment is finding an insurace company that will insure caravans on private / agricultural land, they all seem to stipulate they must be kept on a registered site. Any ideas ?

[melanie154]

Hello, No answers I'm afraid, just more questions - so my partner and I are living in a 40ft showmans mobile caravan on a small corner of an orchard and have been doing so for 3yrs. My boyfriend for the last 9yrs has worked seasonally picking fruit for the farmer and we act as security to a barn with tractors in. The farmer is happy to have us living here and has had no problems with people breaking into the barn or kids setting fires since we have been here. Unfortunatly we have just heard that we have been reported to the local parish council. So we are trying to get clued up on our rights. We have heard of lots of loop holes in the law that help people live alternatively - can anyone confirm if the following is correct. You can live as security or employee on the farmers land in a caravan for 11months of the year with the farmers permission? Any advice would be welcome - many thanks Melanie xx

[malicat]

My partner and I are having housing problems, we are both paying rent on seperate properties that arent suitable for us and the 2 dogs and 1 cat to all live in together so we have to move (or cripple ourselves financially!) My partner has owned a paddock for years hes done nothing with. Adjacent to the field (over the lane) is my partners fathers land and house and he has recently fallen ill so it would be better if we could live there to help care for him. we were thinking of putting a caravan on it and apply for planning to either try to build, or sell with outline permission so we have some money top buy somewhere. After reading the above posts it looks like we'd get trouble after 28 days, does it really matter if we put a static or a tourer on there? Would out circumstances help us to get planning granted? We have no hope in hell of ever getting on the property ladder any other way (unless lotto win!) We are both young local people and local people finding cheaper 1st time buys seems to be a big problem in out area (tourism! 2nd homes)

Cheers - sorry for the rushed post - due back in work!!

[vanman1]

could somebody spell out the 28 day rule to me please? Can you live in a caravan for 28 days, move it off for a week end then come back? Or is it 28 days in any one year?

[wildhorses]

Afraid the 28 day rule means you can only live in a caravan on the land for 28 days in any one 12 month period. That applies to the whole of the area of land, so you can't get away with moving the caravan from one corner to another or towing it just a few feet.

[vanman1]

Damn I suspected as such. Is there anywhere I can look up the exact rules? Does it vary from council to council?

"can anyone confirm if the following is correct. You can live as security or employee on the farmers land in a caravan for 11months of the year with the farmers permission? Any advice would be welcome - many thanks Melanie xx "

I would love to know the answer for this too!

[bushcraft]

http://www.defra.gov....ms/camp/CampGuide.pdf

this may extend your stay ;)

bushcraft :)

[bushcraft]

http://www.defra.gov....ms/camp/CampGuide.pdf

try this ;)

[bushcraft]

http://www.defra.gov..../landmanage/land-use/

[vanman1]

That says you can't camp more than 60 days in a year, so not much of an extension.

[bushcraft]

http://www.m-house.org/law.php

im doing my best , but this is all we have.. agricutural workers are ......., see above. :)

[vanman1]

That's very interesting, but it's clear to see that many PC and Planning Depts like to take the stance a mobile home is a building, and need planning permission though. I bet the company making those pop up houses and instant buildings would not support the buyer if a parish council/planning dept secured an eviction order for one....

Does anybody know if a mobile home needs a TV license?

[oswinta]

very interesting reading. i am surprised to find very little on this subject via the web. my question is..
if i buy a piece of land/paddock and put a static caravan on it, as long as i only live in it for 28 days in any one year (every weekend for example), then this will not cause problems with the council and the caravan can stay cited?

[honeysucklelane]

Chapter 7 based in Somerset offer excellent advice if you ring on a thursday (i think)