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Living in a Caravan on my own land
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.
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.
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If I was you sell the caravan and buy a motorhome (they are semi outside the law), now you have 28 days by law that you can stay in your motorhome on your land... BUT the council would have to keep check on how many days you stayied, so for example if you stayied friday night to saturday day thats 2 days, friday night to sunday night would be 3 days and so on... Now, the law states that the 28 day rule applies to each unit of land, if it is all yours then thats 1 unit (so you can only stay 28 days), if you had part of the site in your wifes name (thats 2 units so 28 days in each, 56 days in total).... Now you see where I am going with this.... If you keep moving from unit to unit, by law you can stay there.... However you need alot of family members or people you trust for this to work... Coz to stay there a whole year you would need a few...
As for the barn, buy a big trailer and take that with you (with your stuff in)... And move that from unit to unit....
I told the enforcement officer that plan when he came to my land (I dont even live there).... He said he has never come across such an idea, I laugh and said hes about too.... After that he agreed with me and his view changed so I didnt have to do a thing.
Just stand up to them, ask questions, and use the law to help you !!
As for the barn, buy a big trailer and take that with you (with your stuff in)... And move that from unit to unit....
I told the enforcement officer that plan when he came to my land (I dont even live there).... He said he has never come across such an idea, I laugh and said hes about too.... After that he agreed with me and his view changed so I didnt have to do a thing.
Just stand up to them, ask questions, and use the law to help you !!
If I was you sell the caravan and buy a motorhome (they are semi outside the law), now you have 28 days by law that you can stay in your motorhome on your land... BUT the council would have to keep check on how many days you stayied, so for example if you stayied friday night to saturday day thats 2 days, friday night to sunday night would be 3 days and so on... Now, the law states that the 28 day rule applies to each unit of land, if it is all yours then thats 1 unit (so you can only stay 28 days), if you had part of the site in your wifes name (thats 2 units so 28 days in each, 56 days in total).... Now you see where I am going with this.... If you keep moving from unit to unit, by law you can stay there.... However you need alot of family members or people you trust for this to work... Coz to stay there a whole year you would need a few...
As for the barn, buy a big trailer and take that with you (with your stuff in)... And move that from unit to unit....
I told the enforcement officer that plan when he came to my land (I dont even live there).... He said he has never come across such an idea, I laugh and said hes about too.... After that he agreed with me and his view changed so I didnt have to do a thing.
Just stand up to them, ask questions, and use the law to help you !!
As for the barn, buy a big trailer and take that with you (with your stuff in)... And move that from unit to unit....
I told the enforcement officer that plan when he came to my land (I dont even live there).... He said he has never come across such an idea, I laugh and said hes about too.... After that he agreed with me and his view changed so I didnt have to do a thing.
Just stand up to them, ask questions, and use the law to help you !!
Ooooooh and I forgot to say, you can visit your land everyday of the year but as long as you leave it at 11:55pm and do not return back into it until after 12:05am than that is also outside the 28 day rule... because in law you have not stayied over night. That way you can keep the land under one person ownership, however I would still love for someone to try out my scheme above.... A planning enforcement officer would also have to keep watch outside your land to make sure you leave it and then come back.... Don't know about you, but having to watch a gate for 10mins every night would p*ss me off if I was an officer....
The joys of Planning.....
The joys of Planning.....
Just came across the site by accident - amazing!
I've read the answers etc but I'm still left wondering about the legal definition of 'living' in a caravan - one of the answers talked about splitting the land into units and moving from one to another, which could make sense but he said 'the law' says this - my question is what Act of Parliament says this because the wording of the Act itself should be looked at - many council people won't know the specifics of the Act they'll just do what their boss tells them
if it is the law then it is the law but it seems a grey area at the moment Media URL: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question422131-2.html
Description: Living in a caravan on your own land
I've read the answers etc but I'm still left wondering about the legal definition of 'living' in a caravan - one of the answers talked about splitting the land into units and moving from one to another, which could make sense but he said 'the law' says this - my question is what Act of Parliament says this because the wording of the Act itself should be looked at - many council people won't know the specifics of the Act they'll just do what their boss tells them
if it is the law then it is the law but it seems a grey area at the moment Media URL: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question422131-2.html
Description: Living in a caravan on your own land
Well, say you have a 2 acre plot of land.... that means you can do what you like with it 28 days of the year (as in live on there)... so why cant the land be split up into 0.5 acre plots, each having the 28 day rule applied to them, so 4 times 28 = 112 days of staying on your land... But each unit will have to be listed under the land registry with different names... The caravan act states you can only keep a caravan on site for 2 days unless you have a licence (or unless it falls under a special condition), but I would still use a Motorhome rather than a caravan (because a motorhome is not listed as the same thing), and you can always leave the site and re-enter it later, and I dont think driving over a unit of land is really against the 28 day rule because you can still do what you like in the day anyway.
I explained all this to a council enforcement officer, and he looked bemused as if someone would really go though all this trouble just to prove a point. But look up the 28 day rule under planning, its all there.
I explained all this to a council enforcement officer, and he looked bemused as if someone would really go though all this trouble just to prove a point. But look up the 28 day rule under planning, its all there.
As for the Law, look at the GPDO, The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. http://www.opsi.gov.u...ksi_19950418_en_1.htm
SCHEDULE 2, PART 4
"The use of any land for any purpose for not more than 28 days in total in any calendar year, of which not more than 14 days in total may be for the purposes referred to in paragraph B.2, and the provision on the land of any moveable structure for the purposes of the permitted use."
B.2 The purposes mentioned in Class B above are—
(a) the holding of a market;
(b) motor car and motorcycle racing including trials of speed, and practising for these activities.
Hope that helps
SCHEDULE 2, PART 4
"The use of any land for any purpose for not more than 28 days in total in any calendar year, of which not more than 14 days in total may be for the purposes referred to in paragraph B.2, and the provision on the land of any moveable structure for the purposes of the permitted use."
B.2 The purposes mentioned in Class B above are—
(a) the holding of a market;
(b) motor car and motorcycle racing including trials of speed, and practising for these activities.
Hope that helps
Ok, so say I bought 4 acres of agricultural land. I then proceeded to split it into 13 lots, using family members and friends, who registered their plots with the Land registry. I could stay 28 days on each plot, moving from one to the next till I got back to the first. I could rent each plot for £1 a year, staying in a humongus motor home (wouldn't even have to be street legal, as long as it ran). COULD, WOULD THIS WORK??!!
In the eyes of the law I think it would... Like I said even an enforcement officer didn't know... But it would have to be a motorhome and not a caravan... and if it had a MOT and tax etc, that would be better.... Coz that way you could just drive off and then back on it again at a later date.... If you do carry out this idea, please let me know... coz I would love to hear about it !!
Well I am thinking it would only drive (on private land, not the public highway) from plot to plot. I am now also thinking, why move? Only move when forced to do so. If threaten with eviction, would the council have to re house me? If it got really bad (the bailiffs/enforcement officers turned up) then I would drive to another 'plot' and whip out the 'lease', stating I have moved from the plot the planning offence happened on, to another one......
Yeah, you could wait for them to try and make you move, BUT the next point to make here is they would need to trespress on other peoples land to get to you... Hmm... is that against the law ??
Also it costs the council loads to try and make people leave, and being homeless would then make it against your human rights...
Also it costs the council loads to try and make people leave, and being homeless would then make it against your human rights...
And if they place an enforcement notice on your land, the notice stays with it for life.. So therefore it wouldn't be worth as much when you come to sell it (the enforcement office said it drops about 20%), also if they do issue you with an enforcement notice this could mess up your chances of re-entering the same unit on a later date...
I am thinking over options, not even got any land yet! If you can stay 28 days on each 'unit' how do they define a unit? If it's the land registry, that wouldn't be too expensive to do. Are renting and owning one in the same as far as this idea would go? Just thinking aloud here, I am sure I am on to something.
Hello everybody
I have just discovered this thread and have read with interest. My question comes from an almost opposite angle to most of you guys as our primary reason for wanting to buy land is actually to keep animals on first and foremost. My husband and I have a fledgling business breeding rare-breed pigs. We currently rent land to keep our pigs on. The land we rent is VERY expensive (£160 per month for 2 acres) as the area we live in is very hoity-toity horsey people. The rent on our house is £550 per month, so we came around to thinking that both for security reasons (there is a growing trend in livestock theft since the recession started) and for secondary financial reasons, we should live on our land. Do you think I have a strong case for living on the land in a caravan/static home because this IS my place of business and my animals need 24 hour security to prevent theft? I also wanted to know if you can find out if a peice of land would be granted planning permission BEFORE buying it? Thanks guys.
I have just discovered this thread and have read with interest. My question comes from an almost opposite angle to most of you guys as our primary reason for wanting to buy land is actually to keep animals on first and foremost. My husband and I have a fledgling business breeding rare-breed pigs. We currently rent land to keep our pigs on. The land we rent is VERY expensive (£160 per month for 2 acres) as the area we live in is very hoity-toity horsey people. The rent on our house is £550 per month, so we came around to thinking that both for security reasons (there is a growing trend in livestock theft since the recession started) and for secondary financial reasons, we should live on our land. Do you think I have a strong case for living on the land in a caravan/static home because this IS my place of business and my animals need 24 hour security to prevent theft? I also wanted to know if you can find out if a peice of land would be granted planning permission BEFORE buying it? Thanks guys.
Yeah you could get outline planning permission or carry out a pre-app before you buy the land just to see if the idea of a dwelling would be ok, however, the owner of the land will know about it. So although the land could be worth afew 1,000 without planning, once you have that do you really think the owner wouldn't increase their price? All you will end up doing there is paying for something you wont get anything back from...
In some cases it has been known for planners to accept a dwelling on some land to look after animals, but this is rare... and alot has to be done before hand, most of the time they may accept a caravan to be on the site for 5 years before a dwelling can even be thought about... Then you will need to prove that you do need to live there... So don't expect an easy time with this...
Best thing to do would be to look at the Chapter 7 website http://www.tlio.org.uk/chapter7/index.html (they don't have all the answers, but their website is a useful tool), they sell a planning book for problems like this for 15 pounds, I wouldn't say it was a bible for how to get planning or a loop hole book, but it does explain the law alittle and gives good case studies... So for 15 pounds, its pretty good, and they give free planning advice by phone...
Hope that helps
In some cases it has been known for planners to accept a dwelling on some land to look after animals, but this is rare... and alot has to be done before hand, most of the time they may accept a caravan to be on the site for 5 years before a dwelling can even be thought about... Then you will need to prove that you do need to live there... So don't expect an easy time with this...
Best thing to do would be to look at the Chapter 7 website http://www.tlio.org.uk/chapter7/index.html (they don't have all the answers, but their website is a useful tool), they sell a planning book for problems like this for 15 pounds, I wouldn't say it was a bible for how to get planning or a loop hole book, but it does explain the law alittle and gives good case studies... So for 15 pounds, its pretty good, and they give free planning advice by phone...
Hope that helps
Hello all.....
Am loving reading this thread, its been going ages too!!! My situation is this......
Am buying a plot of land with 6 garages on it to rent out to nearby house people!! We're struggling to pay rent on our house now, so were thinking about buying a static and living on our land with the garages (plenty big enough)...... How would this work?? Would we have to pay council tax seeing as neither of us "technically work" (not a scrounger, we dont claim benefits, just work for cash in hand mostly). Can anyone help?? Thanks muchly!! x
Am loving reading this thread, its been going ages too!!! My situation is this......
Am buying a plot of land with 6 garages on it to rent out to nearby house people!! We're struggling to pay rent on our house now, so were thinking about buying a static and living on our land with the garages (plenty big enough)...... How would this work?? Would we have to pay council tax seeing as neither of us "technically work" (not a scrounger, we dont claim benefits, just work for cash in hand mostly). Can anyone help?? Thanks muchly!! x
As theres already garages on there you could maybe go for change of use? Is the land within the existing Green belt?
Maybe if there are houses around and the land does fall within a development boundary of a town / village, you maybe able to get planning for a dwelling to be built there... And because you are building it, you need a mobile hime to live if for at 10 years or so... Just an idea...
Maybe if there are houses around and the land does fall within a development boundary of a town / village, you maybe able to get planning for a dwelling to be built there... And because you are building it, you need a mobile hime to live if for at 10 years or so... Just an idea...
hello
do you have any answers to a problem we have also got we have a camping and caravaning club certificated site and stay in a caravan on the site upto 28 days as allowed by the camping and caravan club and have now had an enforcement notice from the council saying we have changed the use from a caravan site to residential and telling us to remove it within 30 days also planning officer says because we stay so long we are not recreational users but how do you define recreational any answers would be handy
do you have any answers to a problem we have also got we have a camping and caravaning club certificated site and stay in a caravan on the site upto 28 days as allowed by the camping and caravan club and have now had an enforcement notice from the council saying we have changed the use from a caravan site to residential and telling us to remove it within 30 days also planning officer says because we stay so long we are not recreational users but how do you define recreational any answers would be handy
Well you can stay there within the 28 day rule for planning, however caravans fall under the Caravan Sites Act, so that is where your problem is. You say you are listed as a caravan club site, I take it that means you are a CL site also? have you always lived on site or or do you really only stay there when the site is open?
Some caravan sites say they are for recreational users by closing the site for 3 months or more in a year (and only open for summer time etc), if the land is within Green Belt and you are not listed by the council for using it as a caravan site then in which case you should only really stay there for 2 nights in a caravan and no more.
How long have you been running the site? what council does it fall under?
Some caravan sites say they are for recreational users by closing the site for 3 months or more in a year (and only open for summer time etc), if the land is within Green Belt and you are not listed by the council for using it as a caravan site then in which case you should only really stay there for 2 nights in a caravan and no more.
How long have you been running the site? what council does it fall under?
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