Tackling The Council | Living Off the Grid: Free Yourself

Tackling The Council
by ECHOBABY on JUNE 10, 2010 - 5 Comments in I WANT TO GO OFF GRID

I own a piece of just outside Gedney Hill,Lincolnshire,UK.I have a mobile home on the land that has been there for over four years.The Council Planning officer has visited several times and i have already told them i am not living there.I rent a house in the village at the moment.
Eventually i would like to live on the piece of land and have a few animals and living a simple life.
What i don’t know is what my rights are, so when the council planner’s visit i am in a better position.
Is there anybody out there who can give me some advice,even if they don’t live in my area? I can communicate through my sister’s computer or i am happy to speak to anybody on the telephone.
Any comments would be much appreciated.

5 comments

1 dustydave { 06.13.10 at 8:03 am }: I’m no expert and don’t know the way that your council works (they all have slightly different priorities) but it sounds like one of your neighbours is “pushing” the council to take an interest in the mobile home. Would be worth guaging local opinion of what you are doing (local pub) and finding out who it might be and then go on the charm offensive. Or, your options are: tell them that you intend to use it for rearing chickens. Or, if your plot is over 4 hectares you could submit an 28-day notification, for a “new” building for storing tools (not livestock) of the same demensions as the mobile home. If under 4 hectares you could ask a local landowner if the could “say” that you rent a few more acres off them, or put a planning app. in for another building, would cost £220; this all helps to take the focus of the mobile home : to get a little off the council you have to ask for a lot! The other step would be to gear up your agricultural activities, then go to the local paper, mp, NFU and claim that the council is “picking” on you and preventing you from “farming”.

Finally, you could do all of the above and move in!!

In conclusion: you need to keep chipping away at it. In situations like this they don’t just give you a piece of paper and go away.
2 V.Soar { 06.13.10 at 11:20 pm }: If the land is registered as agricultural you will not be able to live there, or build a house of any sort there. (unless there is/was one there already which you refurbish or replace. If you had been living in the ‘van unchallenged for (I think) 20 years, then you have the right to remain. If you plan to farm the land you might get permission to erect a farm building/store/shed/barn but unless it replaces one which has been there for some time you would have to convince the council that it would not alter or spoil the character of the land, or otherwise create a “blot on the landscape” and that it was essential for your farming activities. For a definitive answer ask your local planning officer what you can and cannot do. If you approach him/her in a reasonable manner they are usually most helpful
3 Kepi { 06.14.10 at 7:06 am }: Why not get the advice and support from Citizens Advice Bureau? I’m sure they would point you in the right direction and support you as required. But the advice from dustydave is sound too… practice your smiles and do a bit of digging to see if anyone is complaining :) good luck, keep us posted
4 aringofbrightwater { 07.11.10 at 3:06 am }: If you want to contact me via my profile I can give you details of where to look for help( on another forum)that deals with these issues we face as mobile people in the UK….if you are still in need of help.Not posting my contact details here because I am sick of spammers.
5 Farian { 06.02.11 at 2:18 pm }: ;’). the Statute of Marlboro from 1267 gives you the “right to a life of peace & tranquility, without interference from the Government, Monarchy or Landed Gentry” – it might be usefull in your battles ;’).. there’s not much that can be legally said after invoking that statute ;’).. greetings from South Lincs , Boston ;’).. LOL