You Don’t Need Planning To Place A Static Caravan On Your Farm

Planning Permission For Static Caravan. Now there are many, many people who will say that you cannot place a static caravan on your small farm.

Well, they would if they don’t know how to go about it and what you need to do to get the legal right to have one on your land.

Now I’ve been to many forums and almost all of them say. If you ask the question “Can I Have A Static Caravan On My Land”

I Will put you in your place and say outright “NO” or why do you need a static caravan. Why not go with a Touring caravan..? Maybe it’s because you don’t want to.

It’s not like you’re telling them what car they should buy or drive. It’s your choice and you have the right to do what you want.

So stay away from forums if you want to know about this subject.

Many of the members are good-intentioned, but there are some that are just vicious. They don’t want to see you have a static caravan on land and if you are looking to do it. Then you must be a Traveler or something.

If you intend to live in the caravan straight away then you will need planning permission. You can live in the caravan without planning and if you don’t get caught for 10 years and 1 day then you get the right of lawfulness.

We will get to that bit a little later on in the post. At the moment we are just talking about being able to have a static caravan on your land without planning permission.

Not to live in at first but to use along with your farm.

How To Get A Static Caravan On Your Land & You Do Not Need Planning

The Difference Between Static & Touring Caravan

Now many people will say that they are totally different and yes they look different. Also as you know one you can pull behind your car another stays still. But they are both the same in the eyes of the “LAW”.

Legal Definition Of A Caravan?

The legal definition of a mobile home is the same as that of a static caravan.

It covers any structure designed or adapted for people to live in which is capable of being moved from one place to another.

Now whether by being towed or by being transported on a motor vehicle or trailer and any motor vehicle so designed or adapted.

It also includes twin units separately constructed and designed for assembly on-site, provided that the twin unit is physically capable of being moved or transported on a motor vehicle or trailer.

How Do You Get A Caravan On Your Land Without Planning

If you are talking about placing a caravan at your home to live in. It has to be in the curtilage of your garden then no planning is needed to live in it.

But you do need planning permission to live in a caravan on agricultural land.

If you are placing a caravan on your land whether that’s a static or touring you also do not need to have planning permission to do this. We are talking about placing a static caravan on your land not living in it we will get to that in a little while.

What you do need to be doing is farming the land. The reason for this is because you as a worker or maybe you are going to employee workers. You have to provide “Health & Safety In The Work Place” this is the law.

And a static caravan provides all the amenities that would be needed to keep workers comfortable. You would also be abiding by the law by providing them with what they need.

If you are wanting to live on your farm in a caravan I will get to that in a minute.

But if you think you are going to be able to place a caravan on a piece of land and live in it without doing any sort of farming.

You are so wrong and will be moved off. After being served an “Enforcement Notice” to remove your caravan and given 30 days to do it or should I say comply.

Also, this is not about getting a cheap home without being a farmer. It’s about helping small farmers live and farm their land. Not for people to come in and make big money trying to buck the system.

So How Can You Go About Placing A Static Caravan On Your Farm

So as I’ve mentioned above you can use the “Health & Safety In The Work Place” this is needed for any employer to provide their workers. This is how I did it and you do not need planning for it.

Asking Local Planning Officer

Don’t do it…! If you ask a “Council Planning Officer” if you can site a Static Caravan on your Agricultural Land. Trust me you will get one of two answers. Either put in a planning application costing you money.

This will be denied unless you have a means-tested business plan for your farm. Or you will get an outright “NO”. Now you may think a Planning Officer knows all the planning laws…?

Wrong trust me there are a lot out there that don’t know most of the “Planning Laws” and probably never read their “Local Planning Policies” and “National planning Policies”.

Just Put The Caravan On Your Land

Now I say this even if you haven’t started farming yet. This is what I did because I needed to work on the farm. So I needed these amenities to use while building up my farm.

I had it on there for five years and nobody said a thing.

It was only because I purchased a newer model as the old one was looking a bit tatty. That someone called the “Enforcement Officer”.

Now I had also built 3 buildings without planning permission. But this is not against the law and you can apply for “Retrospective Planning Permission”.

I got my planning passed without a problem because I had such a good business idea and a plan for farming the land.

But the “Enforcement Officer” was walking around and saying this will have to go that will have to go etc.

I’m thick-skinned I don’t scare easily which I think he was trying to do. But I kept my cool and thought I don’t think so.

So I applied for planning and it all passed no problems except the time they took to pass it as they asked me for an extra £356 which I refused to pay.

The cost was only £79 so why should I pay extra for what the law says it should be…?

Think about how many people get ripped off every year from planning departments asking for uncalled-for extra income…?

If you come across this problem question the extra and research the answer they give you. If you apply on the online “Planning Portal” you will know exactly what the cost will be.

Let’s Get Back To Siting Your Static Caravan

Now, remember that I said bring the caravan on straight away without asking anyone.

Well, when doing this put the caravan in an area that is not going to make the caravan stick out like a sore thumb.

Do not put it right next to the road or your neighbour’s boundary. Pick an area of your land that is well away from both of these.

Maybe plant some large leylandii so that it breaks up the look of the caravan. Also, purchase a Green or Cream colour these seem to blend in with the area and surrounding farmland.

Now if you haven’t started your farm then you need to get on it straight away. If an “Enforcement Officer” turns up and you’re working the land. Then this is going to be a good look.

But if they turn up and it’s just a nice grass field and knocks on the door and you just look like you have fallen out of bed. Well, let’s just say that’s not going to go down with them very well.

But if you have turned all your soil over if growing for Market Gardens or have Lots of Sheep or maybe like me Lots of Chicken Tractors breeding pure breed poultry. Then they will see you are trying to become a farmer.

Also, the fact that fewer and fewer young people are getting into farming is good. Even if you only have a couple of acres like me that’s enough land to farm. And make a good living if you pick the right “Niche Market”

I mean would you rather test out your farming skills on a couple of thousand-acre farms..? You wouldn’t know where to start, start small, grow slowly and make your farming experience a great experience.

If You Want To Live In Your Static Caravan

Then you are going to have to put together a business plan that can show you can earn a minimum income of the national average of £26,000 a year.

But you can still move into your caravan without applying for Planning Permission while building your business up.

Now you have to do this carefully and what I am saying is. Let’s say you have started your farm and you’re doing just fine and making a profit while living at your regular home.

Then you ask for the right to live on your farm in a caravan because you are making the minimum income needed of £26000 if you were already living on the land.

But if you have grown a profitable farm while living away from the farm then ask the council if you can live on the farm.

The local planning department is going to say well why do you need to live on the land if your farm is doing just fine where you live now..?.

So it is always better to live on the farm while growing your business to the minimum income needed.

Now you can start your farm and start making money before you decide to give up your home to move onto the farmland but keep it below £26.000.

This way when you do move on the land you will already have a business making a profit but not as much as needed.

But you will have a good start to get to the amount to live on the land legally. You will be in a better financial starting position to make that one years minimum income.

Than if you started from scratch living in the caravan and had three years and a bare farm to make that amount and good business. So starting to farm your land first and getting things ready is going to stand you in good stead for your big move.

How To Get Around The Planning System For Living On Your Farm

Now, let’s look at from another angle you sell your home or give up your rented accommodation and move straight into the static caravan without planning permission.

You will almost certainly get a visit from the local council, but now you have nowhere else to live and evicting you from your home. Well, this just doesn’t look good for the council planners and its not good publicity.

I mean your only trying to start a small farming business to help the local community and hopefully give back to the community in the future. While also making a living from the land.

So what you need to be doing is writing that business plan if you haven’t already done it. I am also not talking about keeping just a couple of different animals. It has to be an economically viable business plan that will make you an income from the land.

Also a little. information you may not know and that’s in the history of evicting people from their land.

There have only been 3 cases one you may remember where an old guy shot the local enforcement officer dead. Probably not the smartest move for the enforcement department. But a terrible thing nonetheless.

Also, I’m not talking about large settlers of many caravans with families living in them. I’m talking about just one family.

So you have a great chance to stay on that land living in your static caravan. But at this stage, you will have to apply for planning and probably attend a “Local Planning Committee Meeting”.

You will be given 3 minutes to state your case. Please don’t say things like “Well They Did It” so we should be allowed. You need to be calm and have all the facts and figures in front of you. As well as your business plan.

Also, why do you think you need to live on the land? Now if you are not good at speaking in front of people. Then practice with your wife or in front of your family. If you still can’t get to grips with it may be your wife or a friend could do the speaking part for you.

Remember you only have three minutes to put your case forward.

Now some people will say you should use a “Planning Consultant” well if you want to waste thousands of pounds that could help you grow your farm then waste it…!

But I say if you read your Local Planning Policy and National Planning Policies, also with a good Business Plan, both policies state they have to support small and large businesses for farming in the countryside. Then you will be able to do this on your own and save that hard-earned cash.

What Happens Next After the Planning Committee Meeting

Well if you are trying to be a real farmer and you should be and have written a good business plan. Then they will give you 3-5 years to live in a Static Caravan Legally.

And they will want to see you make the average minimum wage from that farming venture for one year out of the term they have given you.

If you manage to do this then they will grant planning permission for a real home and the size of that home will depend on how much you can earn from your farm.

So this is why it is best to start your farm as soon as possible. Meaning getting the land ready, and your website and marketing sorted. Plan out everything you are going to do and how much you intend to do.

Take online courses at a place like “SkillShare” on marketing, copywriting, taking good-quality images of your products etc. You get 2 Months Free. Which is more than enough time and it’s only £10 per month after your Free Trial and they have many, many more courses?

Then when you are ready to start your farm move onto the land. Use any money left over from the sale of your home or savings you have to build your business up.

So go out there and build your dream farm, check out other articles on my “Blog” you may find something of help to you…?

Remember You Do Not Need Planning Permission If You Do Not Intend To Live In The Caravan…?