Single hardstanding bolthole - possible or not? (1 Viewer)

[maz]

Just toying with an idea and wondering whether it would be feasible/allowable .........

If I buy a small patch of land, would it be possible to install a hardstanding with water and (preferably) electric to be used by just my van from time to time? Would this require planning permission - or any other kind of permission? If I limited any one stay to 28 days, would this be an acceptable way of staying under the Council Tax radar? Anyone any thoughts?

 

[Barclaybasher]

..........


Don't think you'll get electricity to a piece of land unless there is a building on it

 

[Puddleduck]

Our local community council used to have an electricity supply to a box where the Christmas Tree was every year. For a few reasons the tree isn't put there now but the cost of the supply was over £300 a year from what I recall. That was before a unit of electric was used.

 

[chaser]

Just toying with an idea and wondering whether it would be feasible/allowable .........

If I buy a small patch of land, would it be possible to install a hardstanding with water and (preferably) electric to be used by just my van from time to time? Would this require planning permission - or any other kind of permission? If I limited any one stay to 28 days, would this be an acceptable way of staying under the Council Tax radar? Anyone any thoughts?

No problem if you put some sort of shelter on it and keep a couple of sheep, no planing or any other permission needed, definitely for water, might be some sort of regs for electric.
Just been done in our village piece of land about a third of an acre £7000 , bloke just lives in back of his van and is going to dig some ponds on it, no one said a word.

 

[scotjimland]

As I understand it (please don't quote me) you can live on your land in a caravan / motorhome without planning permission for 28 days in any ONE year..

longer than this would require planning permission..

As for an electric supply , even if it were allowed, the cost would be prohibitive unless there was an electricity pole on your land.. even then, you would be talking in four figures for the instal of a step down transformer 440 - 230 v and supply to your consumer unit.

All you need to know is in the 1960 Caravan sites act

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[chaser]

As I understand it (please don't quote me) you can live on your land in a caravan / motorhome without planning permission for 28 days in any ONE year..

longer than this would require planning permission..

As for an electric supply , even if it were allowed, the cost would be prohibitive unless there was an electricity pole on your land.. even then, you would be talking in four figures for the instal of a step down transformer 440 - 230 v and supply to your consumer unit.

All you need to know is in the 1960 Caravan sites act

Why would you need a transformer if the lines were going past, don't think you need botHer with caravan sites act either, as I said get a couple of sheep and if anything is said just say you are there to look after them, as long as there is only one on its just your transport, move it 6 foot every 21 days and it's in a new position , start again, no different than having it parked on your driveway.

 

[movan]

So pleased you asked this, Maz... I too had been thinking along these lines as it looks like it is the only way I can spend my time further South .. little bit scared though because of selling my home and security. Will watch this thread with real interest.

 

[Puddleduck]

There is an initial charge for an electric connection even with the lines running past. It was over £4K here and that was 12 years ago.

 

[Gorse Hill]

Why would you need a transformer if the lines were going past, don't think you need botHer with caravan sites act either, as I said get a couple of sheep and if anything is said just say you are there to look after them, as long as there is only one on its just your transport, move it 6 foot every 21 days and it's in a new position , start again, no different than having it parked on your driveway.

Because the overhead supply will be 3phase

 

[maz]

No problem if you put some sort of shelter on it and keep a couple of sheep, no planing or any other permission needed, definitely for water, might be some sort of regs for electric.
Just been done in our village piece of land about a third of an acre £7000 , bloke just lives in back of his van and is going to dig some ponds on it, no one said a word.

Hoping to keep away from the 'agricultural' element as would need someone to look after the livestock when I'm not there. Suppose I could always tow a chicken coop behind the van ........

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[chaser]

There is an initial charge for an electric connection even with the lines running past. It was over £4K here and that was 12 years ago.

Yeah ok , I concede that one , did think that might be a stumbling block, but water wouldn't be a problem , better if you find a bit of ground that already has a cattle trough connected to the mains , not unfindable by any means.

 

[chaser]

Because the overhead supply will be 3phase

You just connect to one of them

 

[chaser]

Hoping to keep away from the 'agricultural' element as would need someone to look after the livestock when I'm not there. Suppose I could always tow a chicken coop behind the van ........

If you do , I'm afraid you are going to have problems with as been said caravan acts and stuff

 

[Wildman]

As I understand it (please don't quote me) you can live on your land in a caravan / motorhome without planning permission for 28 days in any ONE year..f

As I understand it (please don't quote me) you can live on your land in a caravan / motorhome without planning permission for 28 days in any ONE year..

longer than this would require planning permission..

As for an electric supply , even if it were allowed, the cost would be prohibitive unless there was an electricity pole on your land.. even then, you would be talking in four figures for the instal of a step down transformer 440 - 230 v and supply to your consumer unit.

All you need to know is in the 1960 Caravan sites act

That sums it up. Our quote for an electric supply was £7000 eight years ago. Plus I think you need planning permission for hardstandings. However a CFL licence and space for 5 vans would mean you could stay up to 28 days in any one period so could be doable. You would need water and a waste point.

 

[maz]

As I understand it (please don't quote me) you can live on your land in a caravan / motorhome without planning permission for 28 days in any ONE year..

longer than this would require planning permission..

As for an electric supply , even if it were allowed, the cost would be prohibitive unless there was an electricity pole on your land.. even then, you would be talking in four figures for the instal of a step down transformer 440 - 230 v and supply to your consumer unit.

All you need to know is in the 1960 Caravan sites act

Thanks for that, Jim. I hadn't appreciated that I would be classed as a 'caravan site' for just one van and no commercial gain. Also, a max of 28 days in a year would probably make it impracticable.

Maybe I should go for being a Fun CL instead (on a completely do-it-yourself Funster basis) and save one pitch for my own van.

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[Wildman]

You just connect to one of them

that would leave an unbalanced line so they insist on a transformer.

 

[chaser]

Thanks for that, Jim. I hadn't appreciated that I would be classed as a 'caravan site' for just one van and no commercial gain. Also, a max of 28 days in a year would probably make it impracticable.

Maybe I should go for being a Fun CL instead (on a completely do-it-yourself Funster basis) and save one pitch for my own van.

I know you are only joking , but you are open to all sorts of things if you do this , I'd stick to one on your own, in a friendly neighbourhood, once you get councils involved in anything you are stuffed.

 

[maz]

There is an initial charge for an electric connection even with the lines running past. It was over £4K here and that was 12 years ago.

Although electric would be nice it's not a necessity as I'd mainly be using the pitch in spring/summer/autumn and have solar and a generator. At £4K it's far from nice!

 

[chaser]

that would leave an unbalanced line so they insist on a transformer.

That is not true, here we have 3 phase lines, and some houses are on one and others on others in fact if we sometimes have a breakdown on one phase alternate houses are still on while others are off!

 

[Barclaybasher]

So pleased you asked this, Maz... I too had been thinking along these lines as it looks like it is the only way I can spend my time further South .. little bit scared though because of selling my home and security. Will watch this thread with real interest.

Any land with electricity or water is valuable and like any other property should go up in value

Adding electricity or water is likely to increase value more than the actual cost

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[eddie]

If you go for a Fun CL your allowed up to five "members" vans at any one time and no "one" van is allowed to stay for more than 28 consequetive nights. So if you had a night away every no and again it is practically impossible to police for the local authority to be honest.

Also as I pointed out to a planning officer some years ago, if a motorhome leaves the site at 10.00pm on Thursday to go shopping at the Tesco's 24 hour supermarket, and comes back at 2.00am Friday morning, that legally would constitue leaving the site. The Act states nothing about being away from dusk to dawn.

All you would have to do is organise a dump and fresh water to comply with the Act and get Jim to make you a Motorhome Fun Certificated site.

I did hear that Jim is looking double the number of Fun CL's so now would be a good time

 

[pappajohn]

Why would you need a transformer if the lines were going past, don't think you need botHer with caravan sites act either, as I said get a couple of sheep and if anything is said just say you are there to look after them, as long as there is only one on its just your transport, move it 6 foot every 21 days and it's in a new position , start again, no different than having it parked on your driveway.

First....the voltage in the overhead lines could be 11,000volts and the transformer drops it to 230v.
if it were 230v then a few miles down the road it would have lost so much voltage it would be all but useless.
electricity leaves the power station at 400,000 volts.

Second....in my opinion.....all land has a designation and the kind of land in question would no doubt be agricultural land and would need 'change of use' consent to dwelling land......a motorhome/caravan is still a dwelling no matter how you paint it.

 

[GJH]

Thanks for that, Jim. I hadn't appreciated that I would be classed as a 'caravan site' for just one van and no commercial gain. Also, a max of 28 days in a year would probably make it impracticable.

Maybe I should go for being a Fun CL instead (on a completely do-it-yourself Funster basis) and save one pitch for my own van.

Jim is correct unfortunately. If it was the drive of your house and you are using it incidentally to the enjoyment of the house than the time is unrestricted. Separate piece of land makes it a caravan site.

 

[pappajohn]

Because the overhead supply will be 3phase

Not always....ours is single phase but the one pole mounted transformer only supplies two houses.

 

[chaser]

First....the voltage in the overhead lines could be 11,000volts and the transformer drops it to 230v.
if it were 230v then a few miles down the road it would have lost so much voltage it would be all but useless.
electricity leaves the power station at 400,000 volts.

Second....in my opinion.....all land has a designation and the kind of land in question would no doubt be agricultural land and would need 'change of use' consent to dwelling land......a motorhome/caravan is still a dwelling no matter how you paint it.

Sorry to disagree but as I have already said , in this village we have one transformer for about 20 houses and it comes past on 4 wires which is then joined to the houses randomly off the bottom one and one of the othersof them to each house

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[eddie]

You need change of use, possibly for hardstandings, but you can use any land for a Certificated Location. Car park, rugby ground, race course, field orchard

You would only be able to allow people who are Funsters, but to be honest, your not oblidge to take anyone

 

[Wildman]

That is not true, here we have 3 phase lines, and some houses are on one and others on others in fact if we sometimes have a breakdown on one phase alternate houses are still on while others are off!

whatever the reason here in the South West they insist on a transformer, it drops not only the voltage but limits the current.

 

[teddybard]

Could be a case for joining forces with another couple of people similarly inclined.

 

[eddie]

My electric cost £35,000 just to bring into the orchard!

 

[maz]

I know you are only joking

But maybe it's a viable option .........

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