Agricultural occupancy...

[The Cumbrian]

Bees on a commercial scale would count, but you would have to prove that it was commercial and could pay for the expense of a house.

I am not sure that is totally correct. I f you look at the case I mentioned earlier Wood V Secretary of State 17/3/94 only 16% of the family income came from the wife's agricultural work and she only worked in agriculture for 52% of a normal farm workers week.

Still I admit a big ask just from hobby bees but if some other enterprise was added to it it might be achievable.

Again just my opinion based on the facts I have dug up.

 

[porterswoods]

Perhaps I'm thinking of a new build house, anyway at 52% of a farm workers week would mean that she was mainly employed in agriculture and could live in a tied house, regardless of how much she was earning.

The trouble is the scale of the beekeeping would have to be your main job, i.e mainly in agriculture. This is hard for a hobbist to achieve.

You don't need your agricultural activity to be near the house or in it's garden. The occupier of the house has to be employed in agriculture, which can be anywhere.

 

[porterswoods]

If i add all the hours i spent beekeeping, not the income!!! it would be by far my main occupation, would that count? as i am looking to move and have looked at a number of premises with agricultural occ restrictions, but not sure of the rules, another note of interest,
i have just purchased some logs from a person who's sole buisiness is supplying logs and he has just been informed by the local authority that he is not an agricultural business but a commercial one, and he had to pay £1,700 for planing permission to erect a building, if the farmer over the road had applied for planning to erect a building it would have been £70. interesting

It is because agricultural buildings have permitted development rights. Technically you don't need to even pay the £70 as it is a permitted development, you just have to inform the council you are going to do it.

It is easier to pay the £70 than argue with the council. Having said that it is only upto a certain size. I built an egg laying unit and the fee was £4690. Did they do anything more than the permitted development application, no. It just cost £4620 more.

 

[Queens59]

Yep but we have 1 x 81 yr old retired civil servant, 1 x 56 yr old reg.disabled ex-chef (also my carer) and me 46, retired teacher and registered disabled. Son & daughter will move out when we go - and Dad has his eyes on ag.occ property - building up my bees to qualify...and lots of land for him to play with. Whatever it is we want to increase our family income by 5-10,000pa - either B&B/holiday let/whatever...

And in Devon/Cornwall there are many such properties - that have been on the market (in some cases) literally for years...

 

[Worldsend]

In my county the local authority appear to make many strange planning conditions with regard to agg ties

On occasions allowing people to build on former farmland

The usual route is , buy a pony paddock, put up a stable then need a caravan as a rest room and then a house as they "need to be with their animals" --only to find the house goes up for sale as soon as it is completed

Many firms advertising in "Country lifestyle magazines" advertising no win no fee removal of aggriculteral ties

 

[pargyle]

This is an old thread but I'm interested ... we intend to move at some point, would like a bit of land and the likes of more bees, an orchard and perhaps growing soft fruit ... all of which appear to come within the scope of qualification for an Agricultural Occupancy if the business plan shows that an income can support the family living there. The general conditions of an AOC appear to include the keeping of bees as a commercial venture as a legitimate reason to take up occupancy of an AOC but ...

Has anyone any real experience of living in an AOC with the keeping of bees as the prime reason for the occupancy comditions being met ?

 

[rolande]

This is an old thread but I'm interested ... we intend to move at some point, would like a bit of land and the likes of more bees, an orchard and perhaps growing soft fruit ... all of which appear to come within the scope of qualification for an Agricultural Occupancy if the business plan shows that an income can support the family living there. The general conditions of an AOC appear to include the keeping of bees as a commercial venture as a legitimate reason to take up occupancy of an AOC but ...

Has anyone any real experience of living in an AOC with the keeping of bees as the prime reason for the occupancy comditions being met ?

Although this isn't specifically the route you'd want to follow it may be worth enquiring whether there's anyone with time to offer advice at the Ecological Land Cooperative

 

[Gilberdyke John]

This is an old thread but I'm interested ... we intend to move at some point, would like a bit of land and the likes of more bees, an orchard and perhaps growing soft fruit ... all of which appear to come within the scope of qualification for an Agricultural Occupancy if the business plan shows that an income can support the family living there. The general conditions of an AOC appear to include the keeping of bees as a commercial venture as a legitimate reason to take up occupancy of an AOC but ...

Has anyone any real experience of living in an AOC with the keeping of bees as the prime reason for the occupancy comditions being met ?

Not sure how old you are but is it worth exploring taking a short term job in farming or horticulture and becoming a retired agricultural worker?