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How to conform with Agricultural Occupancy Order?
Jeepers_Creepers
Posts: 4,339 Forumite
Hello.
I have read a few threads on this issue, on here and elsewhere, but there's a couple of things I am not clear about. In short, these are can you be self-employed in the agricultural industry, and - if so - what could be successful ways of making useful income from a single acre of land?
My sis-in-law is a school teacher who is also bringing up a small child. She gets by with a couple of days of supply teaching per week - she has no mortgage and is happy to live a 'simple' life with few extravagances. She would find the agricultural life also quite appealing.
She has found a 3-bed house on an acre of land which has an Agri Occ Order on it - the previous owner was seemingly in to 'horticulture'. She could buy it outright with the proceeds of her existing house, so no mortgage would be required. This property only has one acre of land with it, tho', so this kind of limits what can be done to justify living within the 'order'.
The details provided by the Estate Agent includes; "Agent Note: The property is subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Order, please contact the selling agent for more information.
Town and Country Planning Act 1990:
The occupation of the dwelling shall be limited to a person solely or mainly employed, or last employed in the locality , in agriculture , as defined in Section 290 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 , or in forestry, including any dependants of such person residing with him or a widow or widower of such person.
Town and Country Planning Act 1971
Section 290(1) Excerpt:
"agriculture" includes horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, dairy farming, the breeding and keeping of livestock (including any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur, or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land), the use of land as grazing land, meadow land, osier land, market gardens and nursery grounds, and the use of land for woodlands where that use is ancillary to the farming of land for other agricultural purposes, and "agricultural" shall be construed accordingly;"
A couple of things stick out; one is use as 'grazing land'. If she were to find a local farmer who'd like to use this acre for grazing his animals, would that be enough? 'Osier land' - if she were to plant, harvest and sell lots of weaving willow, would that be enough?! Or, if she were ambitious enough to have a few exotic animals on there from which she 'harvested' their specialised wool, would that be ditto?
She would undoubtedly need to (and want to) continue with occasional teaching supply, so how pernickety are local authorities likely to be over the teaching/agriculture balance?
And does anyone know what the worst case outcome could be? I have read on here of £12k fines and such like, but what happens then? If she could 'handle' a £12k fine, what would the next step be - could she simply up her commitment to the land and/or lower the amount of supply work in order to redress the balance?!
Anyone on here actually taken on an AOO on this basis - making it work, even if only partially?
Thanks.
I have read a few threads on this issue, on here and elsewhere, but there's a couple of things I am not clear about. In short, these are can you be self-employed in the agricultural industry, and - if so - what could be successful ways of making useful income from a single acre of land?
My sis-in-law is a school teacher who is also bringing up a small child. She gets by with a couple of days of supply teaching per week - she has no mortgage and is happy to live a 'simple' life with few extravagances. She would find the agricultural life also quite appealing.
She has found a 3-bed house on an acre of land which has an Agri Occ Order on it - the previous owner was seemingly in to 'horticulture'. She could buy it outright with the proceeds of her existing house, so no mortgage would be required. This property only has one acre of land with it, tho', so this kind of limits what can be done to justify living within the 'order'.
The details provided by the Estate Agent includes; "Agent Note: The property is subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Order, please contact the selling agent for more information.
Town and Country Planning Act 1990:
The occupation of the dwelling shall be limited to a person solely or mainly employed, or last employed in the locality , in agriculture , as defined in Section 290 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 , or in forestry, including any dependants of such person residing with him or a widow or widower of such person.
Town and Country Planning Act 1971
Section 290(1) Excerpt:
"agriculture" includes horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, dairy farming, the breeding and keeping of livestock (including any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur, or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land), the use of land as grazing land, meadow land, osier land, market gardens and nursery grounds, and the use of land for woodlands where that use is ancillary to the farming of land for other agricultural purposes, and "agricultural" shall be construed accordingly;"
A couple of things stick out; one is use as 'grazing land'. If she were to find a local farmer who'd like to use this acre for grazing his animals, would that be enough? 'Osier land' - if she were to plant, harvest and sell lots of weaving willow, would that be enough?! Or, if she were ambitious enough to have a few exotic animals on there from which she 'harvested' their specialised wool, would that be ditto?
She would undoubtedly need to (and want to) continue with occasional teaching supply, so how pernickety are local authorities likely to be over the teaching/agriculture balance?
And does anyone know what the worst case outcome could be? I have read on here of £12k fines and such like, but what happens then? If she could 'handle' a £12k fine, what would the next step be - could she simply up her commitment to the land and/or lower the amount of supply work in order to redress the balance?!
Anyone on here actually taken on an AOO on this basis - making it work, even if only partially?
Thanks.
0
Comments
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AOCs seem a bit barmy to me. Purchase is pretty much limited to low income workers, but asking prices are aimed high income workers. It always baffles me how can a farm labourer, earning minimum wage, can afford eg a half milllion pound house.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0
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Where does OP say it's "a half milllion pound house"?Diocletian_II wrote: »AOCs seem a bit barmy to me. Purchase is pretty much limited to low income workers, but asking prices are aimed high income workers. It always baffles me how can a farm labourer, earning minimum wage, can afford eg a half milllion pound house.
I'm no expert but I doubt it. You quoted: "The occupation of the dwelling shall be limited to a person solely or mainly employed, or last employed in the locality , in agriculture" so it is your sister who would need to graze the animals.If she were to find a local farmer who'd like to use this acre for grazing his animals, would that be enough?
Logically, these properties are not aimed at entrepreneurs or rich land-owners who rent out their land to the peasantry- they are aimed at the poor peasants who are working for the rich land-owners!0 -
Which is why I qualified it as 'eg half a million', because I knew some pedant would pick it out. People who inhabit these boards tend to be knit pickers.
I've seen them advertised for even more than half a million before!This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
Diocletian_II wrote: »Which is why I qualified it as 'eg half a million', because I knew some pedant would pick it out. People who inhabit these boards tend to be knit pickers.
I've seen them advertised for even more than half a million before!
I don't think asking for facts , accuracy or sources of information is being a pedant. I am sure there are plenty of forums for story telling.0 -
Diocletian_II wrote: »Which is why I qualified it as 'eg half a million', because I knew some pedant would pick it out. People who inhabit these boards tend to be knit pickers.
I've seen them advertised for even more than half a million before!
Do you have anything to add that may actually help the OP rather than yet again make this solely about your obsession with house prices?When using the housing forum please use the sticky threads for valuable information.0 -
There are lots of examples of overpriced AOC houses listed out there. Examples:
Eg https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-82801241.html
Eg https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64396407.html
I'd like to see a farm worker afford one.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
Diocletian_II wrote: »People who inhabit these boards tend to be knit pickers.
I think you'll find it's "nitpickers"...0 -
No I mean knit pickers, as in people who pick and unpick knitting....This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0
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Jeepers_Creepers wrote: »what could be successful ways of making useful income from a single acre of land?
She would find the agricultural life also quite appealing.
The occupation of the dwelling shall be limited to a person solely or mainly employed, or last employed in the locality , in agriculture , as defined in Section 290 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 , or in forestry, including any dependants of such person residing with him or a widow or widower of such person.
I find it difficult to see how anyone would be able to make most of their living from one acre.
Does your sister have any experience of horticulture/agriculture?
As, at present, she isn't working in agriculture, I don't see how she could fulfil the requirement.0
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