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.

[homer]

Thanks Nannymarg! - I doubt whether there is any hope of planning , this will be a stop gap measure, if i get moved on, will join the caravan club and move from site to site - what a life :-) Are you still looking for a site yourself?

[homer]

Thanks nannymarg - I will live there as long as possible, planning will be impossible I think, If I get moved on will join the Caravan club and move from site to site, what a life! :-) What is your situation now?

[nannymarg]

Hi Homer, Sorry not been online. I'm staying in a house my daughter owns at the moment. I've sold my house and have been looking for a plot of land thats rural but would permit a caravan residency, as I couldnt afford to build once I'd purchased the land. No luck at all, its usually farmland with no permit or building plot worth a fortune!! I had a bungalow with 3 acres which I loved, but when my husband left and we divorced I had to sell and I've never been able to afford it since, though I've bought and renovated a few houses since. x

[GazRideGuide]

Superb site - I'm saddened that I can't buy land and live in a caravan on solar power. I'm sad that I can't tread lightly on my path through life and get off the rat race and off the grid!

But I am motivated by a fight, I love some of the characters on here - So this isn't gonna be easy - sod it - I'm gonna give it a go - looking for land...

[GazRideGuide]

Superb site - I'm saddened that I can't buy land and live in a caravan on solar power. I'm sad that I can't tread lightly on my path through life and get off the rat race and off the grid!

But I am motivated by a fight, I love some of the characters on here - So this isn't gonna be easy - sod it - I'm gonna give it a go - looking for land...

[nannymarg]

Good luck Gaz! Hope u find the land and enjoy the peace... x

[tracy19661958]

Advice needed Please...My friend has been living on her 7 acre plot of grazing land for 3 years, for near on 2 years she has been paying council tax for this, been having her mail delivered here and everything..the council knew she was living on it and thats why they started to charge her council tax. The neigbours are now moaning and council have told her she has untill the 11th August 2011 to move off!! they told her they would put her in a hostel and her 4 dogs are to go into rehoming kennels(1 of them is 11)...grrrrr...what can she do plz? Help!!

[tracy19661958]

Advice needed Please...My friend has been living on her 7 acre plot of grazing land for 3 years, for near on 2 years she has been paying council tax for this, been having her mail delivered here and everything..the council knew she was living on it and thats why they started to charge her council tax. The neigbours are now moaning and council have told her she has untill the 11th August 2011 to move off!! they told her they would put her in a hostel and her 4 dogs are to go into rehoming kennels(1 of them is 11)...grrrrr...what can she do plz? Help!!

[reeper212]

sorry to all but have no answer, ihave bought 6 acres for my wife and am not wanting to live on but just get change of use for an acre to do exercises on land for horses and put up a stable block for the 3 of them, have withdrawn planning as was recommended for refusal, this was due to a clause about contributeing to a sustainable rural enviroment, has anybody heard of this and have any ideas how to navigate around it or through it, basically HELP as am pulling out my hair, we where told if you run a busness it would contribute but then we would fall foul of the amenites act and disabled access rules. have rambled on enough help please

[homer]

Hi tracy19661958 - I think if you live on land for over 4 years as she has nearly been living - you can appeal. She can appeal the decision anyway . Lodge it yourself and that may give extra time to stay on the site. Ask the planning people for an appeal form, make them work for it!
Good Luck homer

[Vito]

Hello Tracey,
If she had been living on the land for four years she would have been able to apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness.
If it states on the Council Tax banding that it is for a dwelling and it went to appeal with the Planning Inspectorate I think they would have a hard time removing her as they have obviously condoned her residence.
Has an Enforcement Notice been issued ?

[maddognev]

Hi everyone, Im new to this sort of thing.
I want to put a 28ft mobile home in my front garden for my kids and parents to stay in. I think Im right in saying that this is ok, as long as meals are taken in the house. Epsom and Ewell BC seem to think differantly. The main problem seems to be that I live on a "posh" estate where even parking more than 3 cars in my drive upsets the neighbours....Any ideas please !!

[maddognev]

On a simler line, Im planning on puting a 28ft mobile home in my front garden for use by me, my kids, and any visitors. I understand that if meals are taken in the house, and baths , then this is all ok and no planning is needed. But my local council seems to think that I DO need planning permission. My main problem is that its a "posh" estate and the neighbours moaned that I had 8 cars in my drive, so they will definetly moan about the mobile home. Any ideas please, and any written paragraphs I can use in a letter. Thanks NEV

[maddognev]

To reply to a few posts above.
If a planning enforcement notice is issued, you can appeal it. I think you have 28days after the notice is issued to appeal it. It then takes about a year to get the answer from the planning inspectorite!
So, if youre only planning on staying in a caravan for a year or less, then there's no problem ! And you might win !
Planning appeals are FREE !!, unless you want planning permission granted.

I won an appeal against Epsom and Ewell BC about parking on my own drive, so it can be done !

[littlegreenman]

So awesome to read everybodys posts!!

I am currently seeking about an acre of land in Cornwall on which to move my little touring caravan and live a good, cheap life with a wind turbine and a rainwater tank, a composting toilet and a big vegetable garden!

I really hope my dream comes true soon!!!!

Thinking of splitting the land into 13 and moving around every 28 days to avoid planning permission.......

Anybody know if this is as simple as it sounds??

Thanks!! and GOOD LUCK to everybody on a similar mission!!

Dave

[maddognev]

hee hee, might work, but not sure.
Its likely that the plan attached to any enforcement notice will include the whole field. As I say, youd get a year anyway, as thats how long enforcement noties take to appeal !

[stevewasp]

i beleive that if you buy somthing then its yours to do with what you wish.

[angeladavies1954]

We have just been served with an enforcement notice Saturday 10/12/2011 nice Xmas present we split our acre up into 13 plots we did it with the land registry it cost us over £500 2 years ago but the enforcement say,s its for the whole acre i dont know if the council can do it because we split it up, as for the 28 days its not. its 2 consecutive night,s so you would have to keep moving we have been here on the land 10 years next March but only 4 years in the chalet if we had lasted till march we would have been all right we are trying to build a disabled bungalow both of us are disabled my husband lost his sight in his right eye and have a metal plate in his spine and have a job walking we had to sell our house and 4 acres 4 years ago because none of us can work again we kept an acre to build we have got to appeal now but we are not holding our breath if anyone can suggest anything we are desperate.

[Elvira123]

I'm looking into buying a plot and putting a static caravan on it, i'm looking into the technicalities first, then if its viable, sort the funding, then purchase. I decided all this today lol. But, I've come across the term (when looking at plots) 'has investment potential', and I dont know what that means. Can anyone help?

Also, if anyone can advise on the practicality of getting electricity/water/gas/sewage or septic tank etc put in, that would be appreciated :)

Thank you, Elvira

[SharpsBus]

Hi everyone. My fella and I have both sat reading everything right here. To Patihan, all the very best with your success and hope it continues in your favour. To the 'ex council' guy, Good to see great advice and honesty! Our situ: My family and I have our own double decker Bristol vr bus,(view our quick vid!:)) absolutely gorgeous. Getting there slowly with converting to a home anyway. We are searching Sussex and areas nearby to put her on. We have seen some land of 4 acres at £4,000 but sadly we're unable to come up with the cash straight off at this particular time. We have also seen and applied to another 3-4 acre plot on flat land in the area for rental at £150 PM we can most probably afford but have not heard back yet from owner. In answer to questions I would probably say using rented land with a movable mobile 'vehicle' and have chickens and some small livestock would be best in order to 'keep' land used but also visible in the sense that we intend to move about and not necessarily stay put continuously as would be if we had a fixed building or a barn and neither be classed as Travellers, as we are not!. Being rented would mean if any problems then we have a roof over our heads (bus) and can shift all our belongings atthe same time. Someone would still b required to tend to the livestock and thus hopefully having that in our favour as regards the lands purpose? Ther always seems to be a catch in whatever you choose to do, the council come up with a new law it seems to suit themselves anyway so smart quickthinking is essential! ensuring a fence is put up, NO TRESPASSING sign (evn on a rented plot) ensuring we BLEND IN or atleast keep to ourselves. Learn the area, find out about who neighbours the land and it's history esp the laws and what the land was previously used for could help. So, doing the homework!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U93P3nBH1K4&noredirect=1