Planning on non development land

spadoosh

Davesnave wrote: »

I get on just fine, because I'm retired from horticulture.

Bought an ag-tied smallholding, then hit 65 and retired....whoops! :rotfl:

Not bothering? No, I just wish I'd done this sooner, but had to earn a 'real' living/pension first.

This is the crux most fit and able now most afforable when ill be least fit and able.

Agricultural properties are few and far between round me. Ther is one nearby thats in a state of near derelict not the perfect house (bungalow and pretty urban) but some good land, been run down for 10+ years but guessing the owner is stubborn and isnt too keen on dying any time soon. Its soemthing i do keep looking at, not that you get many on rightmove. Uklandandfarms seems to provide mroe suitable properties but again, rural properties just dont come up to often near here (or i cant find them).

Youve given me the plan for the needing 24/7 access with the tender plant issue, guessing it would work with aquaponics quite well. Probably struggle financially just with that but adds to the cause i guess.

Thanks for the info.

Davesnave

You've identified that most of the affordable rural property is in the far West of England, parts of East Anglia and Wales, so location may have to be the compromise. After all, compromise usually figures for most of us.

Our particular horticultural business depended on us being close to large centres of population and people with money, so our location near the N. Somerset/Gloucestershire/Wiltshire borders was ideal for many years. It was all posh markets and country houses with events and open days.

However, it was never going to be possible for us to buy the type of property we wanted in our home area. So, we took a risk, sold-up, went rented and looked for someone in dire straits who might need a quick deal......

It was either going to be West Wales or the Westcountry and the latter came up trumps. Frankly, if you want the best value and a good smallholding, then flexibility in location is going to be key. That's because it's much, much harder to get reasonable acessibility, good soil and a decent aspect together in a place that's neither too exposed, nor subject to flooding, than it is to find an acceptable house in a town.

In the end, we bought something less than wonderful in the house department in order to get all the other stuff. Three years of work on the house is sorting that out, but it's something I didn't really want to do. A great house in the wrong location with the wrong land and neighbours would be intolerable, though!