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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

childminding in 3 acre field! What would Ofsted say?

10 replies

teddyedwards · 08/04/2006 22:59

Right, this is probably a complete no no situation. We have wanted to move to the sticks and do chickens, veg, goats, ponies etc forever, and have found a 3 acre plot that we can in theory afford. I am registered and doing ok where we are,got a good for everything on ofsted report.This is a once in a lifetime thing for us as we cant afford a house with land. Would ofsted let me childmind in a static caravan with all amenities, ie., water,electric, sewerage, phone. I would probably even get an extra static for c/minding only, as i could store all toys,books, games etc and partner who works nights could sleep in peace. I realise some parents would not want their kids coming home covered in goat poo and things, but surely some would love their kids to experience the country life. I have just taken on a little boy with ADHD and he loves seeing my horse and filling up water trough and picking up the poo.(with rubber gloves on) in the field. Obviously chickens will wait til bird flu goes over, but i am very conscious of safety and would supervise at all times. Anyone got any experience of whether Ofsted would allow this.

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Katymac · 08/04/2006 23:01

No idea

I wanted to put a portacabin/log cabin in my garden to mind from - but I wasn't allowed to as childminding has to be in the home (ie attached to where I sleep - iyswim)

But I think a lady locally minds from a static caravan on a site (but I'm not sure)

It sounds lovely - good luck

busybusybee · 08/04/2006 23:06

I would send my kids to you if I lived near enough - Id say go for it!!!!
Id love to live a self sufficient sort of live - even a field costs money though

Original poster

teddyedwards · 08/04/2006 23:12

thanks katymac, the thing is we would be sleeping there, it has planning for mobile and we looked et the field today and it looks like there were at least 2 statics. Big hardstanding for mobiles and it is our dream place. To be honest if i had to sacrifice childminding for it ,then i would, but i love the idea of giving kids the chance to be round animals ,plants, nature etc., and especially special needs kids cos i know it can stimulate them so much. I think i am a bit of a romanticist, but sometimes i think kids who find people and relationships and general hustle and bustle hard going ,can really come out of themselves with animals. I will stop now or i will be here all night droning on. I do hope we can do it cos it would be brill.

OP posts:

Katymac · 08/04/2006 23:19

Do keep me informed - I also think it sounds lovely - where abouts are you?

I'm off on my Hols tomorrow - so I'll check back in a week or so

Ring OFSTED - they might tell you?

Original poster

teddyedwards · 08/04/2006 23:25

busybusybee, A field does cost money ,but this one costs lots less than any house round here and it has planning and amenities so I will not sleep til we either buy it or some other bugger with more money gets in there. I can see us there now with the kids running round the field while we sit there with a bottle of wine(after c/m kids have gone home obviously). If anyone knows of a mortgage company that will loan on land with planning for static, please let me know as we need to be quick.Theres been a lot of interest.

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Original poster

teddyedwards · 08/04/2006 23:29

katymac, reluctant to say where we are in case anyone hears about our dream plot, but i shall say it quietly, and only once,- devon. I cant beleive that i just typed that as if i was whispering, keyboard hardly made a noise. Have a good hol, will let you know how it goes

OP posts:

Skribble · 08/04/2006 23:45

Good luck teddyedwards, thats exactly what I am looking for, as site I can build on but can live in a couple of statics for short term.

We would go for 2 vans, day van for kitchen, living space, craft/toy room and spare room, night van for bedrooms and cosy sitting room with TV and computer.

Original poster

teddyedwards · 09/04/2006 00:24

hi skribble, i think if the land has planning for house, you are usually allowed to live in statics while it is built. Dont quote me on that though. Trouble is usually the land with planning is more than the cost of a ready built house. That is what we have found anyway. We can afford land with no house, but we cant even afford to buy a house ready built, so we need something with planning so we can live there til we can afford house to go on it.I am quite happy to live in static indefinitely if it means we are in a rural area with a bit of land and my horse is not 4 miles away. I dont drive at the mo, so have to rely on hubby or bicycle to get there. All my kids are keen to go rural, but having just read some posts on a money site i am not sure if we can get the funding. It makes me mad that i know we can afford it but some little man in a building society can say no. Just cos he might drink champagne and eat out every night, doesnt mean everyone else does. Why cant banks understand that some people dont have to spend £100 on designer knickers every couple of months, some of us get by on peacocks knickers-£3.99 every 2 years- sorry letting out all my secrets now, must be the cider.

OP posts:

Skribble · 09/04/2006 00:27

Same problem here, my short term would probably be at least 5 yrs anyway.

Usually they don't mind statics if you are building, some builds take years anyway.

nannynick · 09/04/2006 10:13

I know of Nurseries which operate out of porta-cabin type buildings. These are non-permanent, so I think would be classes as the same as a Static Caravan.

For childminding, it has to be your Residential Home, I believe. You would need to check if they consider the LAND to be your residential home (thus you could live in a tent if necessary) or if its only the actual building.

You would need to check with local Town Planning with regard to what usage the land can have... can you have residential on the land, can you operate a business etc.

Space I feel would be a potential issue with a static caravan. Would you be able to have two joined together, thus creating a larger space - like you get with the porta-cabin type non-permanent buildings.

Found a Planning Committee Report that's worth a read \link{http://www.fenland.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=231370\Fenland Planning - Portacabin, Childminding} - starts on Page 11. Outcome was Refusal.

Read about the PPG's... \link{http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1143926\Planning Policy Guideance Notes (PPG)}
PPG 4, and PPG 13 may cause you issues (see planning committee report above).

Hope that is of help. It will at least give you some info regarding what Planning may object to, thus you can try to overcome those objections.

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