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What's the basis of people saying there is a problem with running a business from home? Lots of people have home offices, a lot of small businesses (web design, curtain making, eBay based sales) are run from a residential property.
My understanding is that so long as you've not made alterations that require planning permission, you've told your mortgage company, and sorted out insurance you're pretty much OK. So long as you're not using parts of the building exclusively for business - eg your office also gets used as a spare bedroom or a second TV room - business rates/CGT position doesn't change.
Running a B&B, which you've permission to do, you need to provide secure bike storage and parking. Making a workshop available to guests is no different to letting them use the TV room as far as I can see.
The only issues I can see are around noise and disturbance to neighbours and you have to be making quite a bit, and usually at unsociable hours, before anyone has any valid grounds to complain (and even then it's a slow difficult process and they'd need to provide a lot of evidence).
Even if you *were* putting up 3 pairs of mtb'ers and their bikes every night, repairing their bikes in your back garden in the early evening, and setting off with them in a van you owned to go to the trails each morning at 8am I'm not sure she would have any valid grounds to complain.
What's the basis of people saying there is a problem with running a business from home?
Because in simple terms whilst there is nothing wrong with a home office, if you are running something from your house that becomes big, noisy or popular enough then it can be seen as a change of use from a 'dwelling house' to a business use and that requires planning permission.
Hence council will look into it seriously if miserable next door neighbour complains that you are running a mountain bike business.
One of the tests of whether its become too big etc. is whether it harms residential amenity of your next door neighbours. So unfortunately you can't tell her to p!33 off or own her with bombers as that only harms your case.
However, having said all that from the way the OP described his business set up at the moment it doesn't sound like he's in running enough of a business form his home for the planners to be interested yet.
write back asking for clarification on what a "mountain bike centre" actually means
Sadly I don't think the neighbor is going to give up so I reckon you need to make sure you're water tight
Oh and its your business/lively hood, it is very polite you're turning people away to placate your neighbour... mybe time to be a bit less polite...
oh and my wife would like a skills course.. whens the next beginners one!!!
I've sent off all the paperwork to the council now including a letter describing the business in detail so they will get an idea of what it is about and how it is run. Will see how it goes. I might re-word the website to make it more clear that we aren't a mountain bike centre but really welcomes mountain bikers.
MartynS- follow the link on my webpage under mountain biking and it will take you to Mountain bike skills courses website. I've only got one space left on Saturday's beginners course so if she prefers a smaller group (less than 6) then I would advice choosing any of the other dates available.
we regularly have friends round to mtb. The use of our garage tools are shared for those last minute fettling needs. Out comes the maps and off we all go. On our return, tea and cake is consumed, the bike hose is used and we all hang around for a while, so could we too be accused of running a trail centre?
Do you make them pay?