Hello to everybody.
This is my first post here and I would very much appreciate your help and advice.

I would like to hear from anybody who has managed to obtain planning permission to build a log cabin on thier own plot of land (not a park or site).
Our local planning aurthority (Macclesfield-Cheshire) has told me that planning permission would be unlikely for such a venture, even though they were, in principle, agreable to my "verbal" plans when I discussed it with them. I'm looking to buy a secluded plot of land, somewhere quiet , totally screen the cabin from view and employ as much renewable energy sources as possible. Thier argument was that they didn't want to open the flood gates and have "shacks" springing up every where.
As a childless couple, all we're looking fo is peace and quiet. We dont want a large property as we simply dont need or want one, it would just be a waste. To us, a log cabin is the ideal answer. I've found lots of companies on the net who sell them, either as self build or complete, but so far I've not found ANY references what so ever about people who've managed to build them on thier own land as a 12 month residential dwelling. I simply can't believe that we are the first to attempt this?

Any help and advise would be very much appreciated.

Regards

Paul & ffiona.

Hi

First post for me too!

I have done some research into planning law myself recently. I have an ongoing planning issue here regarding various stables and a concrete yard that were erected over many years by various previous owners. Gwynedd Council, served an enforcement notice on the last occupier for breach of planning control, which I inherited from them. The council - in their wisdom - have told me to remove the stables (now used as storage sheds for a fledgling organic horticultural enterprise) and the large concrete yard... then re-apply for planning permission for a new concrete yard and sheds !!! (Doh!! as Homer Simpson might say!)

I am standing my ground and prepared to battle in court if needed to retain these for agricultural use, and am in the process of 'compromising' with them, having removed the more unsightly stables but keeping the fancy modern ones, and am in the process of landscaping/tree planting etc to reduce the visible impact.

Anyway, I have found this group called Chapter 7 to be very helpful especially a bloke called Simon Fairlie who has published a great book for people in your/our predicament

LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT: PLANNING AND PEOPLE IN A SUSTAINABLE COUNTRYSIDE (ISBN: 1897766254)

Their website is absolutely packed full of information:

http://www.tlio.org.uk/chapter7/

I see they have produced a DIY Planning Handbook also, which I have not seen yet.

One option for yourselves might be to purchase (wood)land and set up a charcoal making business; the small kilns require 24 hr attention and I believe that there have been some planning precedents made with regard to people using caravans and/or building accomodation on site to facilitate this. There are also grants to establish new woods and tax benefits related to woodland enterprises. I believe there have also been some successful low impact planning developments regarding people practising permaculture in the U.K. which is - if you don't already know it - an incredible design science for good site design with some great guides available e.g.

The Earth Care Manual (ISBN: 185623021X)
Whitefield, Patrick

... and Bill Mollisons handbooks to name a few

I hope this helps with your project - changing the planning system to facilitate low impact development is crucial to green building in the U.K.

Best wishes

Andrew

Building a high-quality log home is my aim as well. I have joined the Honka forum, http://www.honka.fr/eu/uk/forum.php
lots of advice there, but I've found plots where I couldn't build a wooden house, but persevere and try to fit in with the neighbours's style.

Sorry if you know this but you should be aware of and avoid the scam merchants that buy up fields, divide them into plots and sell them off as "investment land" or "land soon to be released for development". The land may look cheap - for a plot but it will be expensive for a field.

It comes back to the same problem, a nice secluded plot of land can be often be bought at agricultural land prices (£7,000 per acre?)
The same plot of land with the benefit of Planning Permission is worth hundreds of thousands.
There are policies in some areas (such as some parts of Wales, I believe) for low-impact sustainable development for people who want to live off the land, but even those policies are extremely tight.
Look at the trouble Tony Wrench has had:
http://thatroundhouse.info/index.htm
(my favourite house)

There are not any policies supporting this sort of lifestyle in Macclesfield (now Cheshire East)
and even if they were, would you fit the policy? or still want to commute by car to work in Manchester but live in nice cheap house in a lovely spot?
(I'm not judging you, I am sure this is many peoples dream.)

There are ways and means of achieving what you are after, but they involve being well informed or advised, and a heck of a lot of patience and even more risk.

The problem planners have with your proposal is not the design or size of your log cabin, or how sustainable or low-impact or low carbon the house or your lifestyle is; but the principle in itself of new residential development in the open countryside or Green Belt.
The excuse is that the Location is not sustainable if it is the wrong side of a line on a map, which quite frankly is B*****ks because you can build a house in one town and drive hundreds of miles to work, shop, fly around the world on holiday, and burn fossils fuels like there's no tomorrow.

Personally I think sustainability is more about lifestyle than location, and the planners have no statutory control over lifestyle choices.

Best bet is to buy a wreck to do up (as long as it has not been abandoned, but that's another story...) or try and get permission to build a log cabin holiday let so you can go there whenever you like.

It helps if you are a traveller. Government advice is that such sites are "an acceptable part of the countryside". You would certainly be allowed a mobile log cabin.

Alright - devil's advocate - try and get planning permission for 2 'holiday homes' which is a 'business' and move from one to the other to comply with dates?

I keep hearing that there is a law in the UK that allows you to build on a site if your job is the on-site production of charcoal. Couple this with a permaculture/coppiced woodland gardening/biochar production/self-sufficiency, and you're looking at an ideal loophole in the law to exploit in order to live sustainably without the ridiculous hurdle of planning laws/land costs. I'm not sure how true this is, but it's maybe worth researching a bit.

You could have a swinging mooring just off-shore. Make sure the purchase agreement includes ownership of the mooring rights, and then you could grant yourself a licence.

Hi Paul,
Before you decide to get a Log cabin kit please contact me as I am a member of the (LHBA) Log Home Builders Association and I feel I could help you. I am not trying to get money out of you just give you some advice if you would like it.

Take a look at our web site LHBA (Log Home builders association

David
07891259673

Hi Lance Take a look at this web site and tell me what you think.

http://www.loghomebuilders.org

I am a member of the LHBA (Log Home Builders Association) and I am trying to find out if there are many people in the UK that are interested in building a real Log Home or holiday let of the LHBA type. (Butt N Pass)
These are not log cabin kits and last hundreds of years but still are not so expensive.

The home you have planning for, what made you decide on the type you have?


David