The opposite of life afloat - can I live on a narrowboat on land?

[Paul C]

Ag tie = Agricultural Tie. (slang)

 

One of the very few ways to build a house on agricultural land is to prove that accommodation is needed for a farm worker - for this, you would need a business plan showing that the land is capable of generating a net income (£26000 I believe). Of course, if the land IS capable of that, and its being done already, but there isn't a property there (ie whoever is farming it lives elsewhere, comes to work and does the work then goes home), that in itself doesn't prove the need for the occupation.

 

But I suspect you either have an existing job/career, or you cannot prove you are going to farm the land.

 

You forgot to mention the £/acre.......which is okay. I am guessing, that's the motivation of the landowner in selling the land to you, that he'll get £££ and you will have the PP issues not him. If it is in fact land which has a viable chance of getting PP for a change of use to housing, you'll be about 300th in the queue and he won't be looking at a rusty end-of-life boat being dragged onto it.

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, Paul C said:

Ag tie = Agricultural Tie. (slang)

 

One of the very few ways to build a house on agricultural land is to prove that accommodation is needed for a farm worker - for this, you would need a business plan showing that the land is capable of generating a net income (£26000 I believe). Of course, if the land IS capable of that, and its being done already, but there isn't a property there (ie whoever is farming it lives elsewhere, comes to work and does the work then goes home), that in itself doesn't prove the need for the occupation.

 

But I suspect you either have an existing job/career, or you cannot prove you are going to farm the land.

 

You forgot to mention the £/acre.......which is okay. I am guessing, that's the motivation of the landowner in selling the land to you, that he'll get £££ and you will have the PP issues not him. If it is in fact land which has a viable chance of getting PP for a change of use to housing, you'll be about 300th in the queue and he won't be looking at a rusty end-of-life boat being dragged onto it.

 

The "Agricultural Tie" states that the person living in the house, or, his / her spouse or one of the children MUST be engaged in full time agricultural employment.

 

(We had a tie which took a lot of time and effort to remove).

Edited February 2 by Alan de Enfield

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The "Agricultural Tie" states that the person living in the house, or, his / her spouse or one of the children MUST be engaged in full time agricultural employment.

 

(We had a tie which took a lot of time and effort to remove).

Near me a farmer who rented a house that was built for the cowman, they then sold the cows, clamed this, as the wife of the tenant cleaned house for the farm owner. I don't think I would got away with that

[Owen Green]

Thanks all, that was a helpful description of an Ag tie, every day’s a school day!

 

It wouldn’t be an Ag tie, just a friend offering some space in his land that adjoins the canal. It might be able to go in the water, but would be a permanent mooring, and to go in would need to be re-plated, hence the idea of it being on land. 

[Alan de Enfield]

36 minutes ago, Owen Green said:

It wouldn’t be an Ag tie, just a friend offering some space in his land that adjoins the canal. It might be able to go in the water, but would be a permanent mooring, and to go in would need to be re-plated, hence the idea of it being on land. 

 

In which case it is not a boat it becomes a 'residential building on agricultural land' (assuming you are planning to liveaboard)

[truckcab79]

You need to speak to the local council, not a bunch of well-meaning folk on a forum. Particularly as what you are asking about doesn’t really have anything to do with boating from a planning point of view. Speak  to the planning officer about your plans.  They like to be asked and are often more helpful than you would think.

 

For something like this any sense of permanence will panic them, so connection to mains water / gas / drainage will ring alarm bells.  Having a reason to be on that land specifically will help.  
 

Unfortunately the alternative of just doing it without permission is not going to be legal but is much more likely to go unnoticed if the land is secluded and you don’t start expanding with numerous add-on structures.  …..But if you want to be legal then go and talk to them and ask what they require.  

[agg221]

What I am not quite clear on is whether you are intending to put the boat on the land whilst replating it and then head off onto the water, or aiming to leave the boat there permanently?

 

If the latter, you don't really have any options other than to try and get planning permission for a residence. It wouldn't be classified as a permanent structure because it is not attached to the ground and could be removed within a short time (craned onto a lorry) but it's the residential part that would be the issue.

 

If the former, I think you would stand a good chance of not being noticed if you worked on it where it is placed (quite legitimate) and just didn't go 'home' at the end of the working day. This is somewhat subject to who might be able to see it, and hear it. If it's away from anywhere and not overlooked, the chances of being noticed within a year or so are minimal. Even if it was noticed, you would have a decent period (a few of months) from being noticed, questions being asked, deliberations happening, formal notice being received, responses to queries, notice period given etc. For once, beaurocracy being slow would work in your favour. I reckon if you cracked on with the hull repair and got it done in a couple of months you would probably be fine, but it would be as well to have a plan b.

 

Alec

[ditchcrawler]

I wonder what the status of the one down the S Oxford is, thats been there several years now 

[Mike Tee]

12 hours ago, Owen Green said:

So if I put wheels on a narrowboat it might be a caravan! 🤣

No, narrowvan.

[MtB]

17 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I wonder what the status of the one down the S Oxford is, thats been there several years now 

 

 

Must be a decade at least now. 

 

I wonder the same when I go past. Surprising that given the amount of traffic on that bit of canal that no busybody has dobbed it in to the council. Never mind the boat, even digging the hole requires permission now, AIUI. 

 

[peterboat]

I know of 3 boats on dry land that have had people living in them for many years, I am not going to say where but all with in a stone's throw from canals/river. Clearly if you are careful or in off grid area you are safe. For many years a narrowboat sat in a field near the canal its sat in a channel of water, others will no what happened to it.

If I was doing it I would dig a trench put concrete in the bottom, put services in ground source heating then concrete it in so its easy to get in and out. Some well placed bushes and trees and as if by magic it's gone from sight, especially if you paint the boat camouflage say?

[system 4-50]

13 minutes ago, peterboat said:

I know of 3 boats on dry land that have had people living in them for many years, I am not going to say where but all with in a stone's throw from canals/river. Clearly if you are careful or in off grid area you are safe. For many years a narrowboat sat in a field near the canal its sat in a channel of water, others will no what happened to it.

If I was doing it I would dig a trench put concrete in the bottom, put services in ground source heating then concrete it in so its easy to get in and out. Some well placed bushes and trees and as if by magic it's gone from sight, especially if you paint the boat camouflage say?

or start off with a submarine?

[peterboat]

Just now, system 4-50 said:

or start off with a submarine?

Could do but he has access to a very long narrowboat 

[manxmike]

My Grandmother sold her 15th century wattle and daub house but kept some of the land on which she put a "mobile home".

This had two bedrooms, a lounge, bathroom, dining room, kitchen, central heating etc. It had wheels that were about 6 inches in diameter so it fitted the description.

It might even had floated come the flood!

[Tim Lewis]

River Kennet, Reading

Went past a couple of years later and the bow had been cut off!

Edited February 16 by Tim Lewis

[ditchcrawler]

25 minutes ago, manxmike said:

My Grandmother sold her 15th century wattle and daub house but kept some of the land on which she put a "mobile home".

This had two bedrooms, a lounge, bathroom, dining room, kitchen, central heating etc. It had wheels that were about 6 inches in diameter so it fitted the description.

It might even had floated come the flood!

A friend of mine had one of those on a raft moored on the river Bure