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Q&As
Land Without Building Permission
My wife and I have found some land, about 8 acres, with natural fresh water supply.
We would like to buy this land to live a sustainable lifestyle, using solar, wind, hydro for power and natural water supply, so would be living off grid.
We plan to grow our own food, have live stock etc, possible and orchard and/or vineyard.
We would living on the land. Would we need permission to build a timber-based log cabin?
One Answer
Hi Barry,
Yes, you would need planning permission for any form of dwelling on the land, regardless of its type of construction, its degree of mobility or its green credentials.
In the countryside, planning permission for new dwellings is only granted in limited circumstances. These include where a dwelling is needed to manage a rural business. Some councils are more welcoming of sustainable lifestyle type projects than others.
Have a look at the council’s planning register to see of you can spot any similar schemes in the area and see how they fared. You may well need to seek advice from a planning consultant to pin down how best to make a case for your intended home.
Mike Dade (Build It Planning Expert)