Tiny Homes

[Triassic]

There's been a Facebook post doing the rounds linking to an online petition calling for a relaxation of the rules regarding Tiny Homes and the need for local authorities to allow them. 

Theres been a couple of occasions reports in the local paper when locals, living in caravans and cabins on family farms, have had enforcement action against them as they don't have planning permission for their tiny homes. As a result there's been a bit of debate about the planning process and it's suitability.

Given the lack or affordable housing should we be going down this route. No doubt a few of us are currently living in Tiny Homes! I am.

 

[Ferdinand]

Hmm. Was that enforcement not because of the existence rather than the size of the home?

 

Can you link to the petition / reports that explain exactly what they want to repeal? I would like to know more on this.

 

On first reflection, I am not totally convinced that a 150sqft caravan or shack takes up much less space than say a 400sqft one. Not sure if a tiny one is actually much less expensive to create. For high density flats I would concede a difference.

 

For an analogy, my Vauxhall Corsa does not take up much less space on the road than my neighbour's Audi Q7 .. because as with houses most of the road area is made up with of space between them.

 

Cheers

 

F 

Edited August 13, 2017 by Ferdinand

[ProDave]

Slightly related. Several years ago I wired the electric hookups for someone that had imported two American Airstream caravans to let as holiday lets. I went back there last week, and asked how it was going. It wasn't. He had made the "mistake" of asking for permission form the council, who said yes, BUT they must be made suitable for disabled access.  That killled that idea and they have sat empty since.

[Jeremy Harris]

39 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Slightly related. Several years ago I wired the electric hookups for someone that had imported two American Airstream caravans to let as holiday lets. I went back there last week, and asked how it was going. It wasn't. He had made the "mistake" of asking for permission form the council, who said yes, BUT they must be made suitable for disabled access.  That killled that idea and they have sat empty since.

 

 

That's loopy.  Our last holiday was in this former windmill, that belongs to a flying friend, Vince Hallam.  It's in the middle of a field, you can imagine what the access inside was like (space saver stairs to the living room at the top.....):

 

 

In the past we've had holidays on yachts, a barge on the Caledonian canal, a former dovecot in the Lake District, a log cabin off a rough track in woodland alongside a lake in the Cotswolds and a few other places, none of which had disabled access.

 

 

[ProDave]

I would have just listed them on Air BNB and said nothing. Using a slight "adaptation" of the rule that allows you to let 2 rooms in a house as B and B without needing formal permission to so so.

[Ferdinand]

6 hours ago, ProDave said:

Slightly related. Several years ago I wired the electric hookups for someone that had imported two American Airstream caravans to let as holiday lets. I went back there last week, and asked how it was going. It wasn't. He had made the "mistake" of asking for permission form the council, who said yes, BUT they must be made suitable for disabled access.  That killled that idea and they have sat empty since.

 

Strange.

 

Are the Council even technically correct in saying that when it is not in the nature of the thing to be illy accessible? Is a Yurt in a field accessible? Even static caravans at Mablethorpe are not fully accessible.

 

How does that relate to George Clarke's Small Spaces programmes?

 

He always says talk to the Council about PP before starting any project.

 

Ferdinand

[Triassic]

Here's the link to the petition https://www.change.org/p/reassess-uk-planning-permission-laws-for-tiny-houses-in-response-to-the-housing-crisis/nftexp3/fb_share_post_dynamic/755794615?recruiter=755794615&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish.guest_form_reduction&utm_term=autopublish&utm_content=fb_share_post_copy_6%3Afb_share_post_dynamic

Edited August 14, 2017 by Triassic

[Crofter]

Be careful what you wish for.

We've all seen George Clark, we've maybe seen some fantastic tiny house projects or retro caravan, gypsy caravan, yurt, etc, and thought 'how could anybody object to that?'

So how do you draw up a planning policy that permits these developments but is not taken advantage of by someone who claims that their rusty shipping container, or broken down transit van, is their holiday home?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and one man's retro-chic is another's pile of junk.

[gravelld]

Regards the housing crisis, I think houses should be getting bigger if anything, in the UK, and so I don't think this is a valid solution and we may just end up with a load of inadequate housing.

 

I suppose if these "tiny houses" can be sustainably dismantled and re-used after the housing crisis is over (i.e. Government grow a backbone and start pushing back a little on the volume house builders) there's no harm. But that's a big IF.

[SteamyTea]

27 minutes ago, gravelld said:

I think houses should be getting bigger if anything

So do I, there is no reason at all why we build such pitifully small homes.

Except our historic class system, nimbysm, xenophobia and snobbery.

We really need to change as a society and move into at least the late 20th century by becoming more inclusive and equitable.