We live a a rural hamlet/village and the people opposite us are clearly hoarders - it appears to be a common issue with country folk !
They have about 5 very old trucks in various states of falling apart, caravans, Golf GTI's, Peugot 205 GTI, Escorts its a shame to see these things just falling apart. They also appear to be collecting shipping containers at the rate of 1 per year.
They dont run a business from home or anything like that.
In some ways it doesn't bother us at all, but in others they just keep adding more and more sh!t
Shipping containers are classed as temporary so its not a planning thing, but is there anything rules wise for making the environment look a sh#t tip ?
Ta
I thought this was going to be a thread about my in-laws.
add in the occasional toxic bonfire and you are nearly there...
Nothing to add apart from I share your frustration.
Awaits “townies don’t understand the countryside” comments 😂
I bet you complain about the smell of cows and the noise of sheep too
😉
add in the occasional toxic bonfire and you are nearly there…
Oh they do that. And those vehicles are all just leaking their fluids in to the ground
I guess I used to be a 'townie' . If we just left a caravan to slowly rot outside our house we would get in trouble. Apparently in the countryside its the norm.
I've talked to them about the 90's hot hataches, hinting they need to do something with them as they are worth a fortune (slowly less and less as they rot) but they just dont appear bothered !
Worth a call to council planning.
I'd call your version of SEPA (scottish environment protection agency) too as there may be environmental issues here.
Or go via your local elected councilor as they may know the exact route for your area.
(Not that I expect any of the above to leave their desk and do anything. I am leading the local residents association in a similar issue. Local criminal tried to open a caravan park, and now his mate is selling firewood. Very frustrating series of battles but we are getting there. Final step is a compulsory purchase of the affected land)
This is in my village - I think there's sod-all you can do about it...
[img] 
[/img]
[img] 
[/img]
...you'll find this scene all over the countryside.
Its their land, can't they keep their stuff on their land? I don't understand the issue, is it because you don't like the look of this temporary stuff? They haven't built anything?
muffin man - thats where I can see this field going ! They are only in there late 40's so many years of shit to accumulate yet 🙁
Its their land, can’t they keep their stuff on their land? I don’t understand the issue, is it because you don’t like the look of this temporary stuff? They haven’t built anything?
Thats the point though it isnt temporary it will be there for decades. If I wanted to build a decent extension on my house I would have to go through planning. But I could pile as much shit in my garden as I like and thats not an issue. Its just bonkers
In theory, Section 215 of the Town and Council Planning Act should solve your problem (I think).
This gives councils the right to do something if they think the condition of land/building is 'harmful to the area'.
In practice, most councils don't have the resources to do anything, but maybe worth a try.
There is also the H+S aspect which may apply.
(I tried to use 215 on some scrap cars stored for ever on a nearby drive with zero result.)
An extension cannot be picked up and moved. The stuff you store can be, and who is anyone to tell someone when to move what they have stored. It has the capacity to be moved.
(I tried to use 215 on some scrap cars stored for ever on a nearby drive with zero result.)
Thankfully the UK still has some aspect of freedom then.
If you put a 3ft dia pot with a plant in it on your drive and leave it there for 40 years should you have planning for that.
What the OP and Richmars are saying is that they just don't like the look of stuff other people store?
It's THEIR field. They can, within reason, keep what they want in it. There's nothing else to say.
It's not 'just not liking' it,
Having a load of scrap cars would put off anyone buying our house if we wanted to sell. But I guess personal freedom overrides everything.
containers aren't "development" unless they're fixed to the ground, had services plumbed-in etc and so don't require p/p UNLESS they represent a change [or intensification] of use of the land........
EDIT: 'their land they can do what they want with it" is not what the planning system says, or does anyone think there'd be any fields left without housing estates on them?
@the-muffin-man I had to double take at your pics, that looks almost exactly like the scene in my village. (I checked, it's not the same place...)
Having a load of scrap cars would put off anyone buying our house
Bingo!
Are you in a conservation area...? If so, might be worth a call to the council's planning department.
Entirely up to the land owner wha they store on their land, however, personally I have a grumble about old vehicles being left to rot as I get worried about what fluids are leaking/escaping into the ground. Otherwise, despite things looking messy, it is up to them what they do with what they own.
their land they can do what they want with it”
Where in this thread has that been said?
It has been said they can keep/store what they want on it, not "do what they like " with it, these are different concepts.
Nothing different to what's seen on farms and crofts across the nation. Custodians of the countryside,or scrap 😂 You never know when you might need xyz, is the time and cost of actually getting rid of stuff.
The only time our planning got involved is when they were unofficially commercially breaking vehicles, and the concern was more with SEPA due to proper disposal of fluids etc, or not.
I understand your feelings, but I'm not sure there a lot you can do about people being messy buggers on their own land unless it was proven to be a health risk to others or pollution?
Our neighbours have a garden full of old knackered kids toys, rusting bikes and the odd dresser. Not nice,but ...
Very little you can do about it. And trying will quite possibly cause you more trouble than it's worth.
Plant a screen of low trees so you don't have to look at it all the time.
Are people really worried about what at most a few litres of oil or diesel maybe leaking into the ground. Have you seen the **** that gets intentionally dumped into the earth and sea. If you have time and energy to spend on the topic please start with the big polluters not the local hoarder.
You’re worried about 10 at most vehicles potentially leaking fluids into the ground ?
There are far worse culprits dumping environmental disasters into the ground.
You need to be more holistic perhaps the hoarding is because of a deeper issue that you don’t know about.
As said it’s their land… don’t like it move or be considerate to them as you know absolutely nothing about their personal lives.
Mr Nimbi ! Not in my back yard literally!
…you’ll find this scene all over the countryside.
Yup.
As said it’s their land…
As said by whom? The OP described it as "a field" and everyone else has assumed.
It’s THEIR field. They can, within reason, keep what they want in it. There’s nothing else to say.
Well yes and no. We want to buy the field behind our house and make the garden larger.
Apparently to do that we will need to apply for change of use, basically just to cut the existing grass a bit shorter 🤔
So yes it is their land they do own it, but if I buy the field behind me I can’t change a small amount of it in to garden ! But I could dump as much shit on it as I want
Where in this thread has that been said?
Entirely up to the land owner wha they store on their land
It’s THEIR field. They can, within reason, keep what they want in it. There’s nothing else to say
Its their land, can’t they keep their stuff on their land?
Exaclty - nobody said they can "DO" what they want with it, otherwise they'd be building on it, we all said they can keep or store what they want on it.
If subtlties like this are struggling to get through then perhaps , umm perhaps.....
Cougars point stands, they might not own the land, however in commercial leases there is the concept of quiet enjoyment, which pretty much entitles you to behave as if you own it
This is interesting as my dad put a shipping container on his field and within a few months had the planning department after him. And SEPA. And presumably anyone else that whoever took the time to go right out their way to find issues told.
Wonder who he evidently upset?
Cougars point stands
I didn't really have a point TBH, I was just asking for clarification.
If it is their land then it's a tough one. I wouldn't want to live across from an eyesore either, but what rights you have to dictate what someone else does with their property is going to be fairly limited I'd have thought. I know next to nothing about Scotlandshire law unfortunately. A question for the council perhaps? They might point you in the right direction at least.
Apparently to do that we will need to apply for change of use, basically just to cut the existing grass a bit shorter 🤔
I had this moving house. The previous owner's mum lived here but she ran a sort of halfway house for adults with learning difficulties, so the usage had been amended to allow her to do this. It was something meaninglessly ephemeral like a Type 4E dwelling rather than a Type 4D dwelling, or something. This, apparently, would require a change of use to turn it back into being a regular home. Like, what, I'd be in breach of the usage classification because I didn't have a prerequisite number of people being cared for? There was a big fuss kicked up which made absolutely no sense to me and then the solicitor came back going "yeah, turns out it's fine, we've had it changed now." 🤷♂️
Are people really worried about what at most a few litres of oil or diesel maybe leaking into the ground. Have you seen the **** that gets intentionally dumped into the earth and sea. If you have time and energy to spend on the topic please start with the big polluters not the local hoarder.
I'm going to come round & take a dump on db's doorstep every morning because you know... best leave me alone & start with the big polluters.
I'll leave the pigeon chess to those who obviously know better how the Town & Country Planning system works.....
Exaclty – nobody said they can “DO” what they want with it, otherwise they’d be building on it, we all said they can keep or store what they want on it.
Except you can’t. It is reasonable to store farm related junk on farmland but general rotting transport kit is a change of use. The only way you will get most planning departments to do anything is by a complaint through a councillor. Even then I suspect the first thing they will do is run a credit check on the owners to gauge their ability to fight back (sorry I’m possibly slightly cynical about how some planning authorities prioritise enforcement action).
Apparently to do that we will need to apply for change of use, basically just to cut the existing grass a bit shorter
Why tell anyone? Just buy the field and take the fence down. Job jobbed.
Why tell anyone? Just buy the field and take the fence down. Job jobbed.
This.
It does seem somewhat perverse that seemingly on the one hand the neighbours are doing as they please and there's nothing you can do about it, yet the reverse isn't true.
can this be made sticky and changed to ‘NIMBY whinge thread’?
There is a farmyard just a few meters off the SDW between Rodmell and Southease that's a big dumping ground full of old vehicles and machinery rotting away. I often ride through it I love it so much. But then as a kid my idea of the best place ever to live was Steptoe's yard. Come to think of it it still is. When I win the lottery I'll buy the local tip.
Wonder who he evidently upset?
i suspect the bloody townie neighbours who don’t understand country ways.
british (english?) people don’t like their neighbours putting things in their gardens.
Except he was the townie and the nearest neighbours were about a mile in either direction.
It wasn't a garden either.
