I'm a Planner (based in Scotland) AMA

[Plannergirl9]

Hi

Happy to answer any questions.

Hi Plannergirl9, I live in the Scottish Borders which is very dependent on horse-based tourism. The council here have been great for putting in core networks etc but planning costs a fortune for equine related buildings compared to agricultural. It holds equine businesses back - why is anything equine-related so expensive when it is a rural business and brings in much-needed revenue to areas like the Borders?

Can I also ask why a barn that doesn't have agricultural permission needs a building warrant when the same barn that has agricultural permission does not?

Thanks plannergirl, we were notified of the much further away site (rural) as nearest neighbours, but not when the application was resubmitted less than 20m from our boundary. Feels very like neighbour pulled a fast one, putting original application somewhere nobody would object to, knowing it would be refused as it was in a v random place (middle of a field), then changing site knowing we wouldn't be notified as we hadn't objected.

@krustykittens agricultural businesses have a greater amount of development which can be done without planning permission (permitted development). Development associated with Equine businesses which include the breeding and boarding of horses need planning permission as it is in a different class to agriculture. The fee for agricultural and equine development is based off the size of the development area in hectares. The difference is that the fee per hectare is greater for equine development than that for agriculture.

@krustykittens building warrents (building regulations) is completely separate from planning. You would need to ask them.

@Keeptrudging if it was a new application (with new reference number) you probably should have been notified. If it was the same reference then it may have been an amendment which don't always need re-notified.

Thank you appreciate it

Thank you for answering. Do you think that planning regs should be different from region to region to take into account what investment and kind of businesses a region needs, such as the Scottish Borders?

@krustykittens no I think planning regulations should be the same anywhere in Scotland. It's for individual areas local development plan (local planning policy) to be different. Things like what is permitted development and what the fee should be should be the same nation wide.

Ah, I see! Thank you for explaining the difference. I almost did your job, I absolutely loved Geography when I was at school! I wish I had pursued it now, I think I would have really enjoyed it.