planning / 'change of use of land' help please...

lincroft1710

But surely he has increased the tarmac area? You state that it is now rectangular, rather than kidney shaped. Ride on mowers can be classed as being necessary for the maintenance on the remaining grassed area, a caravan certainly isn't.

By your own admission your father's intention wasn't just to store the caravan but to make use of it, albeit not continuously. What are the 2 garages used for? What is the land actually used for other than somewhere for family members to park their cars when visiting the nearby beach.

It is understandable that neighbours could be concerned. What your father did is suspiciously like making a decent access road, so that a dwelling could be built, or perhaps some commercial activity.

Mojisola

**G*O*S*H** wrote: »

This land also had it's own driveway / vehicle access and when purchased had a hard standing with two large boat sheds, timber construction on it, which I remembering blowing down in the 1987 storm.

These were then replaced with 2 'marley garages' and has been like it ever since.

My father who wants to keep the land purely because us kids grew up using the property as a holiday home and so have my children wanted to keep 'something' - it is in a pretty area, right by the sea and holds a lot of memories.

If it's just a piece of rough land with two garages on it, I don't understand the emotional attachment to it or the reasons for keeping it.

I can understand the council being very alert to attempts to set up some kind of living accommodation on it.

Mossfarr

Why doesn't he just put his caravan in one of the huge garages?
Surely that would not be considered to be change of use.

EachPenny

Mossfarr wrote: »

Why doesn't he just put his caravan in one of the huge garages?
Surely that would not be considered to be change of use.

Probably not change of use, but by the sound of it they are not big enough to fit a large caravan inside. The existing status of the land would be a significant factor though.

The best advice (as previously) is to speak to the planners about getting consent for storage activity.

The resurfacing of the driveway like-for-like is just maintenance and shouldn't require consent unless there are specific restrictions. And a small increase in the size of the turning area might just squeak in as PD. Evidence in the form of photographs will help to persuade.

If that approach fails then I'd start investigating the status of the land (is it agricultural?) and then take a look at the existing garages and whether they are due for replacement with near equivalent 'storage' facilities. All done in full consultation with the planning office of course.

OP, I would forget about the planning officer 'snooping'. You want them to be your new best friend. If you demonstrate respect, trust and a willingness to receive advice most planners will turn into fluffy kittens. If you demonstate a 'I know my rights' approach you find yourself dealing with a tiger. The impression you give them is crucial to the decision they make - if you act like you've got something you're trying to hide then they will assume you have. Just saying

chappers

As said above establish the current status of the land, your argument would firstly be that it is probably light industrial via historic use as boatsheds. tell them to do one on the resurfacing as you say it has always historically been paved.
However caravan storage is a particular use in it's self, which requires permission, you need to look at the local plan and see if change of use to caravan storage could fit in with local plan.
Visual amenity and additional traffic are the usual objections to caravan storage.
visual amenity might be circumvented by reconstruction of one of the historic site buildings, additional traffic might be a bit less easy to sort but is usually addressed by restriction on number.

Aspiration

Best thing you can do is to seek professional legal help prior to responding further to the council.

zagubov

EachPenny wrote: »

OP, I would forget about the planning officer 'snooping'. You want them to be your new best friend. If you demonstrate respect, trust and a willingness to receive advice most planners will turn into fluffy kittens. If you demonstate a 'I know my rights' approach you find yourself dealing with a tiger. The impression you give them is crucial to the decision they make - if you act like you've got something you're trying to hide then they will assume you have. Just saying

This.
OP, you're sounding confrontational when you should be conciliatory. You're about to try fighting "city hall" and that won't end well.

Take a deep breath, try to see it from their point of view before talking to them.