In most of Europe, it is currently perfectly legal to live in a caravan or camper or log cabin, any temporary dwelling in fact, without planning or other permissions on land which you own.
In this country it is not allowed. What I would like to see is the abilty for those who wished to, to live full time on their own land, in a temporary dwelling.
With the housing crisis that we have, it seems completely absurb that so many people who care desparately for the enviroment, cannot live in a simple sustainable way on their own piece of land.
Most people who wish to do this are not strange new age travellers – I used to be a bank manager. I would just like to live a very simple life, pay what taxes I have to, and leave as small a footprint on this earth as possible. Please let me and thousands like me, have a chance to do so.
Thanks for this opportunity to voice my opinion.
Penny Burgess
01242 583345
Great idea. I’m with you. If people own the land then they should have the right to live on it. This country is run by fascist Nazis who should be culled.
Yes you probably guessed I’m livid with rage at the government controlling how I live. If it’s my land then it’s not their business.
I’d happily accept rules re waste water, toilet facilities etc. I just want to live on my own land in peace.
Best of luck with your campaign. You’ve got my support.
But who lives in the original property on the land?
If the caravan was also subject to council tax as another dwelling then personally I have no problem with this.
In fact this could be a way to down shift the council tax banding structure!!
Whilst you personally may be a lovely neighbour I do feel that many people might not be as nice as yourself and could abuse this…. buying cheap land and packing caravans onto it. This could massively change a community over night.
Freedom for all if you bought it then you should decide what you do with it I think it’s high time people here in the uk STOOD UP for what they want people is power as we have been recently witnessing all around the world the rules here are crazy for example you get nicked for going over 70 mph but yet still make cars that do 170 mph and faster you can’t drink and drive yet most pubs have car parks heloooooooo so as for living on our own land yes let’s make a stand for our human rights we only want a peaceful life away from the cruel world that it’s turning out to be it so seems that in this life you just gotta do what you gotta do criminals have more rights than decent folk so here goes I’m off to live on my land forgive me oh father I’m about to sin and live on my land hahahahaha yeeeeeeeee ha !
That’s why we need law and order, because people like you are anti establishment.
Drink driving for God sake, wonder if you would say the same when you have mowed down a child or two.
And why should I not have rights to look out of my window across a field of grass that’s been there for years and then (what ever you call yourself) make crapy shacks or site caravans everywhere. There are places places like that. There called caravan sites.
I think many of us agree that:
In most of Europe, it is legal to live in a temporary dwelling without planning permissions on land which you own. So a president has been set.
These days people care for the enviroment, and need to live sustainable lives but cannot stay on their own piece of land in the UK.
We should stand up for what we want.
So where do we go from here. MP? facebook? Pertition? Brussels? Has anyone any suggestions on how we make this happen?
Why do let this sort of issue go time after time, I am sure if you were to look back at the presidents that are set in houses already built, I,e extensions, loft conversions e,c,t. we need to ask questions on what is the difference between already built property, to land with already a temp building on it I,e stables live stock shelters. These buildings tho being temp could stand there 20 to 30 years.
I think many of us agree that:
In most of Europe, it is legal to live in a temporary dwelling without planning permissions on land which you own. So a president has been set.
These days people care for the enviroment, and need to live sustainable lives but cannot stay on their own piece of land in the UK.
We should stand up for what we want.
So where do we go from here. MP? facebook? Petition? Brussels? Has anyone any suggestions on how we make this happen?
With Dale Farm issues ringing in our ears, I can see both sides of this issue. Perhaps if sensible laws were in place which allowed the placing of and living in a single temporary structure (as defined) by a single family on their own land where the area of temporary building to land ratio was no less than 1:10, this should be workable. I am thinking of those people who have invested £20k in a few acres of woodland and would like to live there in peace with little if any services or amenities, but some contribution towards local amenities such as police etc.
Quite agree, we have to put up with so many stupid European rules, why can’t we get the odd one such as this that might make being in U S of E not such a bad thing.
A friend of mine has just been served with a clearance notice for a piece of land which he has been living on (and paying council tax) for over a year now. The caravan has been on the site for seven years or more.He runs his small business from the site storing his tools and machinery,he took up more permanent residance after series of thiefts took place.
The clearance order means now he is homeless and out of business,he’s quite aware there needs to be rules allowing certain things to be carried out on private land.
Based on his situation and probably many others like him I think we should be able to live on our own private land.
Tell him to check out the ten year rule, where if he can prove that the caravan has been there for more than ten years then it is too late for the council to do anything.
I have every sympathy with you friend Gerald, I run my own business and had about £5000 worth of tools stolen from a shed which I was paying rent on. I have a secure shed on my land 5 miles away but feel that it wouldn’t be secure enough without me living near by to keep an eye on things I couldn’t get insurance on this grotty shed I rent so I lost everything and had to start again. Maybe I should have played more Golf and mixed in the right circles because that seems to be the only way to get on in this country.
Again, there should be some structure around this, some rule of thumb allotted to prevent abuse…dare say legislation? Maybe a license that is renewed yearly on good tenancy? Something creative, I mean, what happened to the work that JP did relating to housing when he looked into alternative living?
I for one am fascinated by container homes, and I am no tree hugger, but I can plainly see that unless you happen to be on a good wage then you have little hope of owning anything.
Land prices are frankly ridiculous and such actions will help, so I am all for it, and dont mind paying for it either.
I sympathies with this cause. I have a peace of land that I keep Bees on I am trying to build this up to a sustainable income. I have put a mobile home on my land to tend to the Bees during the spring season, I have applied for planning but been turned down. I am appealing but I have been told I wont win. A bit of advice to all that share a dream I have had all my life never never give up. read a book called From Field to farm by David Areman. There are a number of loopholes you can use. The councils look to sustainability (this dose not mean environmentally sound although this dose form a small part of it it means a sustainable income) you must prove you can maintain a minimum wage for a minimum of 12 months. I do believe if you own land you should be able to live on it provided it is not unsightly.
Best of luck to all you free thinkers.
I live on my own land. I have done for nearly seven years. I keep my dogs and horses here and need to be here. just wanted to be left alone to live my life with my children. hopefully building a business and a home for them, to give them something better than I have. council don’t want that going to court in afew weeks to face eviction and a criminal record. applied to them to be rehoused if there so against me, apparently IM “low priority”
The council should be happy that your providing for you own family and not sitting there waiting for a council house. There are no social housing and all the councils are skint so why not make it easier for people to provide for their own family
just a thought if its “law” how come different councils work to different rules!
its not law, they issue enforcement which is criminal not to comply, enforcement was originaly intended to control massive development, it now used to criminalize those who cannot pay massive amounts of money into the system
If you own land you should be able to put “temporary” housing on it. We have a housing shortage and it seems that the only people allowed a leg up in life are politicians and bankers!! Not everyone would live in a caravan there are lovely timber houses, cob houses etc… That would bring character and something different … Rather than the regimental Wendy houses commercial builders put up for massive profit!
Where I live wealthy retirees drive prices up way above what local people can afford. I have a small amount of land that I could help my children set up home on in the future. I have no money to compete with these incomers but I have an asset that I could use to help give my children a leg up in the future. The local council will not consider any sort of dwelling outside the planning boundaries, thus a building plot size of land outside the plannig area is worth about a £1000 and inside the planning area about 80 to a 100,000 pounds.
I don’t own my own house, as I can’t afford to buy in this current market. I do want to own land though and would like to have a log cabin on this land. I would not abuse this land, the world is very important to me and my grandchildren. I would then be able to live off my pension without asking the government for extra money to support my housing which would cost them an additional £600 a month (this goes to to a private landlord for rent, and I wonder how many £600 per month the government could be saving). Our government doesn’t have an endless supply of money but housing costs are huge…isn’t it time we started to support the people that were trying to help themselves. The government seems happy to support wealthy landlords and those with multiple houses and all those wealthy people that are putting housing out of the reach of the masses. Legislation could be brought in to ensure that the land is not abused and overbuilt on. Please if a member of parliament is reading this do something about it, help us to help ourselves!!!
I agree that the green belt must be sacrosanct it must not be built on otherwise we will have shanty towns springing up all over England. The law is there to protect the rich from looking at your hovel or having working class living near them. We have thousands of empty properties in England and vast amounts of brownfield sites we can build on so the immigrants can have nice new homes.
Greenbelt is no longer sacrosanct; local councils are allowing thousands of homes to be built all over the country on Greenbelt yet land owners cannot build a temporary building on THEIR land; its’ absolutely potty, and as for having to get insurance in case anyone harms themselves whilst on YOUR land; well, bloody well keep off OUR land! How come the European rule of being able to live on your own land doesn’t apply to us British folk when we have to conform to other rules; seems a bit one-sided and unfair.
I agree with you. its funny how any wild animal can be born and be entitled to live minding your own business untaxed but be unfortunate enough to be born of the human species and you basically have less rights than any animal.
In Portugal it is possible to build a mobile home on agricultural land, although you can not do it by law except it IS legal up to 180 days and then after a period of 2 full years the land automatically becomes urban land and you will have to pay taxes as everyone else does.
Having a “mobile structure” on your land means that it “can be” or “will be” moved within or at 180 days. This has also to do with anything happening regarding the national transport system for example that needs your land to put a rail line or motorway through it. If they do have it on their radar then they would think that nothing is there and they could buy your land and start work, if you are paying taxes then they would know that it is there and is also an accepted legal structure.
If you were fined by the local council the limit is 500 euros, but you can only be fined once. If you murder someone you can only be jailed once, its just like that.
We have clients that have been fined and still have their house intact and have water, electric and letters delivered to them but their land was once agricultural.
In some cases you need the services of a lawyer but it is worth the investment because a piece of land that cost 10,000€ can be 10 times that amount after you have done all the work and got your home installed. Good Luck to anyone that is thinking of doing something l hope that you can find help from the right people to make it worthwhile.
Buy a piece of land and move onto it!
just be discreet for ten years! Don’t tell a soul and go into hiding! They won’t win
just over 2 years ago we bought a plot of land as we could not afford to buy a house and could not rent one as we have 3 dogs, so we placed a mobile home on the land, with in 3 weeks of it being here up rolled the council, to cut a long story short they said we have changed the land use, and they sent us an enforcement notice, we have the deeds to this land going back to 1902 and this land has never been classed as anything. we have turned the place from a rough old field into a nice field, strange the the person that had complained was a parish counciler and lives over the road and is now putting up over 76 acres of solar panels passed by the council. we put in for planning permission to the council they have cashed the check and sat on it for over a year. our field sits between two wharehouses they have planning permission it like one rule for others but not for us. southhams council don’t seem to accomadate for people that just need to live, this is an election year so I think we should make a stand if its votes mp,s want well you will not be getting them from the thousands of voters in our situation will you.
I was fascinated yet disillusioned to read these brilliant comments. Since a young boy I have dreamed of living in a traditional Gypsy Wagon, making a living by travelling the country painting pub signs and sign-writing. at one point I even had my youngest son as enthusiastic about the idea as myself.
However, modern life put paid to those dreams as nowadays pub signs and other signage are all laser cut vinyls or perspex – also I suddenly realised that, much as I like horses, I didn’t actually have a clue as to how to look after one.
So, plan B was took off the shelf and examined. This was to site a purpose built Shepherds hut on a plot of land in the country. These ‘huts’ are absolutely awesome with double glazing, kitchen and bathroom facilities, solid oak floors and wood burners, all within a modest living space at a very reasonable price. It was then that I realised that we actually live in a police state, and not in a good way either.
Our law enforcement agencies in the UK are vastly underfunded and understaffed due to successive government cut backs and yet, it would appear, that those resources which are available are targeted at preventing ‘crimes’ against the rich. If you own loads of property or have large bank accounts then you will find that the UK law really does favour you – as one contributor has already stated, there is definitely one law for the rich and another for the rest of us.
Throughout my life I have supported various conservation trusts but I am seriously considering withdrawing from this as I read more and more stories, in the respective news bulletins, about rich people who have purchased swathes of countryside for their personal pleasure and are granted all sorts of concessions that most of us would never be allowed.
Anyhow, enough ranting at the machine, the point that I wanted to make is that most people, given the opportunity to do so, would create, maintain and cherish their own dwellings just as the rich do with their huge estates. All I really want is the chance to live in my own private space, preferably in the countryside where I grew up, pay my dues to the state and lead a happy, productive lifestyle.
I own land in Greece that I placed a static caravan on quite legally. There are no mains services (apart from water) and I run the whole thing from 280 watts of solar panels and some bottled gas
As well as all my low energy lighting, I have an HD flat screen TV, hard drive with many GB’s of films etc to watch, a stereo music system, Hoover, washing machine and a fridge with small freezer compartment (that uses only 50 watts a day to run) and many electric tools (drills, ginders etc). A 5KG gas bottle lasts a good month for all my hot water needs. Sewage is via a sceptic tank.
I would love to do the same in the UK – who needs an overly expensive and wasteful modern home?
Yes, we should have the choice to live on our privately owned land in the UK and I agree with the ratio of land to living space idea
Some of the posts on here are part of the problem as the government will only read comments stating that I can do what I want.
I would personally love to be able to build a log cabin on my own land as I am 27, self employed, a wedding coming up and have a 7 month old son so the chances of me affording our own house is a very distant dream if not impossible and due to the high cost of renting we have to live in a caravan on a caravan that is meant to be a holiday home.
I had a period where I couldn’t work that much because my partner was ill (brain tumor/ medical mistakes during c section) the government would not help because I managed to do a couple of hours per week and I ended up massively into debt to just keep a tin box over our heads.
I believe that regulations should be put in place to keep it down to a single family dwelling, taxes should be paid, reviews carried out on occupancy and other things to safeguard our countries natural beauty but putting people into poverty and not allowing our country and children to maximise it’s potential has a detrimental effect on the morale and productivity of our nation. Lets make Britain great again.
I think part of the problem is that everybody wants a moderm-ish home that will require a fair ammount of financial investment.
people also want it to be officially sanctioned so that at some point they can have the option to cash it in.
If you are truly passionate about about living simply and in a low impact way.
buy the right bit of land and use the 4 year rule
Buy some land preferably very rural/hard to get to, fence it off and prevent acess as best you can, build a low cost house from natural materials for a few grand, make sure its blended with its environment..partailly sub surface….grass roofed whatever… just well concealed (but not purposefully hiddden) ….live in it and hope for the best.
if you stay hidden for four years cool you can apply to have it made legal.
if you get served with notice sell the land buy something else.
I want to live on my own bit of lamd but if every fucker did this A)all lamd prices would rocket B)it would be abbused by people looking to cash in
i think the law is pretty fair and in some ways actually facilitates those who want to live in a true low impact way. find some land build a tiny house from natural materials, live in it and if you get moved on then move on…thats how we used to live
…….. i have though of buying a bit of land dividing it up into very small plots, building a moveable/modular structure on it and hoping for the best….if i get served witha notice…. ill just move it 20 meters onto the next plot and hop from plot to plot… not sure on the legal side but i bet itwould be an absolute nightmare for the authorities to enforce anything