After some advice on a planning application near my house. There is an area of green land that my house overlooks that has had a planning application for a hardstanding with 3 stables for horses, this green land is the only thing that separates 2 different towns/villages, the council have only notified the houses that actually border the site, I plan to object for various reasons but would appreciate advice on the following:

1. Would this set a precedent for future development on the site? I am aware of previous attempts to develop neighbouring land owned by the same trust.

2. Would I be doing something illegal by dropping leaflets that make people aware of the development to a wider area of houses than the council have already notified?

Thanks in advance

1) no but it erodes barriers

2) no, you’ll be called a nimby but that’s about it.

1) No idea, but they would need permission again to get a change of use if they wanted to build something else there. On the one hand the applications are supposed to stand on their own merit, on the other in 20-30 years could you see an application going in citeing “removal of the eyesore delapidated stable block and associated rusting horse boxes, rat infested feed store and replacing with a clean and shiny Stringfellows Nightclub”. But you can’t object on that basis, it can only be something to do with the application itself.

2) No, we did just that and a petition. And if you inform the council it might me that they haven’t distributed the letters far enough, we got an extension to the deadline because they’d only notified one side of one street, let alone the neighbor on the other street (it was on a corner).

1) you need to look at the councils local plan (is there an expressed requirement to keep urban areas separated, for example) and also specific development restrictions (drainage for a large area of hard standing), additional vehicle movements (lorries deliverign feed, horse boxes etc). Find facts to use in any objection, not ‘it’ll spoil my view’.

2) Go ahead – we’ve had a similar leaflet thing here re: a 75m mobile phone mast put up with no warning.

Set up a local FB group if there isn’t one – people will use it and it’s easier than printing a lot of leaflets!

Main thing with leaflets is knock on doors and talk to people, ask them what they think, ask them to comment to the council – it’s abotu communication and getting people to actually do something. Find things they won;t want ‘there’s ll be a lot of lorries though the village once it’s built’ or whatever.

Make sure permission is not delegated to council officers.

Talk to you local councillors. Get them involved (and on your side).
Persist. It’ll be a long haul.

1: Possibly, possibly not. You need to look at what development in that area is covered by the local authority local plan. Whether non-residential development can precede housing development is something you’d need to research.

2: No.

Your objections to this particular development need to be on relevant planning grounds . It’s worth looking into whether they are ‘admissible’ before making the objection. For example, in most circumstances, you do not have the ‘right to a view’.

If they are building a stable on it, do that not suggest that they want to keep it green? After all horses usually have pasture?

with 3 stables for horses

in 20-30 years could you see an application going in citeing “removal of the eyesore delapidated stable block

Details of what the ‘stables’ consist of could be what matters. A work-around for planning permission can be that some stables structures are on wheels or skids and not technically classed as permanent buildings. If thats the case here then theres not strictly speaking a ‘building’ there and the site is still ‘green’. If they are fixed permanent structures then they could be considered ‘brown field’ at a future date.

Definitely get organised with leaflets, to do so is quite normal. You might want to domsome research on the grounds for which you can object, eg vehicle access for horseboxes ? Nature of the proposed building ? …

To out the other side a stables and a hardstanding is hardly the end of the world and the rest of tje field will remain a pasture / excersize area.

Speak to one of your local councillors, preferably one who doesn’t sit on the Development Control Committee. They should be able to give you detailed advice, and may even wish to oppose the application.

You’ve already had some good answers but I’ll add mine anyway…

1) It could be the first step. Example: A chap down the road bought a field for agricultural use and put a largish barn on it to store agricultural stuff. A couple of years later he got permission to put a static caravan on it as he was getting broken into. Move on another couple of years and he’s now got planning for a house to replace the static caravan.
This is in a very rural area and I doubt he’ll be developing it more, but in your case it sounds like the land ‘might’ be considered infill which ‘may’ allow more development.

2) Absolutely, get as much support as you can, BUT I suspect you may struggle as people are not really going to find much harm in a few horses and a stable block – although this may depend on what they look like/how big.

I’m presuming you don’t have anything against horses and are worried about future development damaging your view/house value. If this is the case I’m afraid you’re out of luck as neither are reasons for objection.
You need to concentrate on design (not fitting in with the surrounding properties), effect of traffic, reduction of your enjoying of your ‘amenity’.

Two years ago we had a chap apply for planning to knock down a bungalow next to my mums holiday house and replace it with a two storey monstrosity which was going to take away some of our existing sea views. We objected along with a few other neighbours but he got his planning.
Fast forward to this easter and we get notified that he has put planning in for a huge raised deck, swimming pool (with air source heat plant), hot tub and an ‘outside cooking structure’ with pizza oven and BBQ which would have been literally a few feet from our property.
Luckily the house he’s just built (and has yet to actually use) is fuggly and the locals all hate it so getting people to object was less difficult. This time his application failed on reasons of privacy, noise, smoke and odour (reducing the enjoyment of our amenity) although I’m sure he’ll appeal.
I’ve found the whole thing pretty stressful and I wish you luck.

Thanks for all the replies, some really useful info.

I wasn’t planning on objecting because of the view, having the stables there really wouldn’t bother me that much, my main concerns are noise, smell and vermin as the muck pile may well get situated close to my house, and of course the potential for any future plans as it will be a permanent structure that they put up.

Well to be perfectly honest I think you’re going to struggle as noise will be negligable (we’ve got horses right next door and you’d never know), vermin are all around you now anyway but you could ask for any muck heap to be more than a certain distance from you.
Best of luck anyway – it’s worth putting the objection in.

Edit: Check the plans for lighting as you can def object to light polution

no, you’ll be called a nimby but that’s about it.

Yup, you’re a nimby.
Voting for Brexit too? 😉

Is the field currently used for horses, and if not, then what is it used for?

Strongest big of advice is that you need to read local planning policy and the national planning policy framework, and make your objections based on specific policies based in them.

I’ve just put in an objection on a planning application based on a rights of way issue, and worded that section as:

6) The withdrawal of the clause would lead to the continued unlawful obstruction of this right of way, contrary to DEFRA circular 1/09 Section 7 which states:

7. Planning permission and public rights of way:
7.1 Proposals for the development of land affecting public rights of way give rise to two matters of particular concern: the need for adequate consideration of the rights of way before the decision on the planning application is taken and the need, once planning permission has been granted, for the right of way to be kept open and unobstructed until the statutory procedures authorising closure or diversion have been completed.
7.2 The effect of development on a public right of way is a material consideration in the determination of applications for planning permission and local planning authorities should ensure that the potential consequences are taken into account whenever such applications are considered.

7) The withdrawal of the clause would lead to the continued unlawful obstruction of this right of way, contrary to National planning policy framework paragraph 75, which states:
75. Planning policies should protect and enhance public rights of way and access. Local authorities should seek opportunities to provide better facilities for users, for example by adding links to existing rights of way networks including National Trails.

So the more you can tie it in with conflicting with written policies rather than just your concerns or opinions the better

What about parking for visitors, horse boxes etc? Where will they load/unload?

the council have only notified the houses that actually border the site,

Because that’s what they should do.

How far away is the field from your house though?

Out of curiosity, what exactly has it got to do with you? If you want a view over green fields, buy them. But frankly unless the horses are eating your roses or lorries are parking in your driveway, accept that things change.

Move to an AOONB if this sort of thing bothers you (although being in the country they kind of have implicit permission for *gasp* stables and barns anyway. You could be living in a bit of the country where vast numbers of identical houses are squashed into every available spot of green space, which is something worth complaining about.

I appreciate that I’m taking a controversial view here.

Field is about 30yds from my house and is currently a meadow.

Out of curiosity, what exactly has it got to do with you? If you want a view over green fields, buy them. But frankly unless the horses are eating your roses or lorries are parking in your driveway, accept that things change.

Move to an AOONB if this sort of thing bothers you (although being in the country they kind of have implicit permission for *gasp* stables and barns anyway. You could be living in a bit of the country where vast numbers of identical houses are squashed into every available spot of green space, which is something worth complaining about.

I am in a “bit of the country where vast numbers of identical houses are squashed into every available spot of green space”, which is most of the problem, like I said I don’t really have much objection to looking out over stables as long as I can’t smell or hear them.

I wish I had the money to buy fields 🙄