Buying cheap land...?

Dinah93

There is no such thing as generic planning permission. Regardless of buying it or leasing it you would need permission. You would need to change the use of the land from agricultural to sui generis, but given that other uses in this class include displaying and sale of motor vehicles I do think you might struggle to get permission on a random lump of agricultural land.

Best thing to do is go and speak to a planning officer at the local council, and get their thoughts on whether the scheme would be acceptable or not.

GDB2222

An interesting strategy might be to do a very little go-karting (with extra quiet karts) for 10 years. You are so low-profile that nobody notices or cares. Then bung in an application for a cert of lawful development (or whatever it's called).

Pee

You'll find small pieces of land are at a premium anyway, the so called "pony paddocks". If an acre or two was for sale, it could easily attract a price of £16,000 due to demand.

Dinah93

GDB2222 wrote: »

An interesting strategy might be to do a very little go-karting (with extra quiet karts) for 10 years. You are so low-profile that nobody notices or cares. Then bung in an application for a cert of lawful development (or whatever it's called).

You'd still need permission for any hardstanding, new access, buildings etc needed after the 10 years. If its just you and some mates skidding about on the grass between some cones a few times a year, I doubt anyone would care, but if you're actually digging out a track then that would be a different matter. You also need proof of a continuous use for the full 10 years.

roseland69

Call me old fashioned, but the thought of some lovely rural location being ruined by someone carving out a muddy track and driving quad bikes over it leaves me a bit cold!

Dinah93

Which is why you need planning permission to do it, otherwise our entire countryside would be decimated for recreational uses and new build housing.

googler

dr_shabzzz wrote: »

If the land has planning permission...is that generic?...as in you could build/do anything with it? ie the mud or tarmac go kart track? or would we need to apply for a go karting specific planning permission?

Also, when buying the agricultural land...how can you tell whether or not it will be accepted for this kind of planning permission if it doesn't have any already?

...or what about coming to a private agreement with a farmer to use some of his land on a lease/rental basis? Do the same rules apply?

Your council should have what's called a Local Plan; this is updated every few years or so, and this is the place where the council decides the 'shape' of the county over the years to come. If there's an identified need for x new houses, then they'll designate areas of the county for housing, estimating that these areas will accommodate x houses. If there's a need for more schools to go with the houses, an area will be designated for 'educational' development.

If your area of land is one that's designated in the local plan for farmland uses, you're unlikely to get PP unless you can prove some pressing need for you to redevelop the area as non-farmland; your development would be contrary to the local plan.

Does this help? Which county are you in, by the way?

Debt_Free_Chick

dr_shabzzz wrote: »

If the land has planning permission...is that generic?...as in you could build/do anything with it? ie the mud or tarmac go kart track? or would we need to apply for a go karting specific planning permission?

PP is very, very specific. You must submit plans/drawings for exactly what you want to do, together with a "Design & Access Statement". Look on your Local Authority planning site for more detail.

Also, when buying the agricultural land...how can you tell whether or not it will be accepted for this kind of planning permission if it doesn't have any already?

You can't. The land you buy has a designated use and you need to understand what that use allows to do - and what it does not allow you to do. Anything outside of its designated is likely to need PP (with some very minor exceptions).

...or what about coming to a private agreement with a farmer to use some of his land on a lease/rental basis? Do the same rules apply?

Yup - same rules. The land has a designated use and anything outside of that will need PP.

Davesnave

I've now bought in a rural location, but one of the things I've looked out for on aerial photos, apart from the standard ones like large pylons or sewage works, is the very obvious tracks made where there is regular karting or motorcycle scrambling. They're not common, but I've come across them on a couple of occasions. They represent a distinct blight on a place for prospective purchasers.

It's not hard to see why the locals will certainly protest.

benyboy

I would have thought that you will need planning permission if the gokarting is intended to be a business, whether it has been used by go-karters in the past or not?