When looking at buying an equestrian property it is important to make sure your property has all the correct planning permissions and has no agricultural ties on the property or any of its land. This does not just mean the house, all outbuildings, stables, horse walkers and manege`s will require the appropriate planning permission.
Agricultural Ties
Many rural properties and former farms have ties on the land or building meaning they can only be used for agricultural use, unlike the rest of Europe horses are not classified as agricultural but instead are classified as leisure, if you are looking at buying a farm for conversion you may be able to have these agricultural ties removed but it is wise to research into it fully and consider getting professional advice.
Planning Permission For Stables
If you have existing buildings it may be possible to convert these without planning permission, as long as the building in question does not have any tie placed on them. A popular option is turning a large outbuilding in to an American style barn, this can be done affordably using prefabricated stables. If you are looking at building a new stable block you will require planning permission and proper design and plans to get the permission granted from the local council.
Planning Permission For Riding Arena, Indoor School, Manege
Again if you already have a building built that is suitable you can look at getting the appropriate surface put in it to create a new indoor school for you to ride in, if you are building a new building normal rules will apply, with the appropriate planning permission needed for a new building. If you are wanting to put in place an outdoor manege, even though you are not putting in a building you will still need planning permission, these are usually easier to get although if you are looking a putting in lighting this can be cause more difficulties and may come along with restrictions when the lighting can be used.
Commercial vs Residential
If you are planning on using your equestrian property for commercial use then you will require to get permission for your property to be used for your business, when getting permission for commercial use the council will look at a number of other factors including the local roads and traffic patterns, in some instances the council may put road improvements / inclusion of passing points as a condition to granting permission.
Get Expert Planning Help
Whether you are looking at buying an equestrian property or considering making improvements to your current property make sure you get expert help and advice from a planning permission professional, any work carried out without the appropriate planning permission can be forcefully removed causing huge expense if not handled correctly.
