Charles Holt (Lincoln)

A successful application for a ‘farm worker’s dwelling’ has recently been achieved in Lincolnshire, supported by an appropriately-worded assessment prepared by me.  This has resulted in permission for a three bedroomed permanent house, where there was none before.  The applicant did not have to go through the temporary dwelling phase. 

The client is relieved, as a temporary dwelling was not wanted at all.  Some people do not mind living in a mobile home or log cabin for three years, especially as they can be very comfortable.  (I have even had a number of ‘temporary’ dwellings become permanent after the three-year stage).  But in this case, the clients absolutely did not want to live in a mobile home or log cabin.

The applicant’s father had been a dairy farmer but had gone out of cows due to ill-health.  The son had come home, having not previously been involved in the farm.  Father then died, leaving an arable farm with a few suckler cows.  We had to build a case that justified the dwelling to the local Council.

It took me a lot of work with the applicant, their accountant, their vet and the planning consultant who had been instructed, to present all aspects of the case in a way that made it possible for the planning officers to recommend approval.  Numerous hoops had to be delicately jumped through, and all relevant planning policy had to be navigated around.

This we eventually did, and a satisfied client is the result.  The moral of the tale is to take your time, ensure the application adheres to planning policy, and to present the case well.

Contact Charles at charlesholt@fcgagric.com or your local FCG Office, for help on your planning issues.