Land Usage UK
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Leisure
Equestrian: This leisure pursuit for business and pleasure has grown considerably in the UK over the last decade. Conservation Grants and advice are offered to those who want to develop: Livery facilities, Competition Centres, Off Road Riding, with cross-country jumps. Experienced horse specialists are finding money in Stud Provision and those within suitable locations have set up Trekking Centres.
Hobby Farming: For centuries this has enticed a certain type of city gentleman into the country. With bonuses achieving an all time high, there has been a rise in the amount of people setting up small holdings purely for pleasure and relaxation.
Fisheries: This is not just about providing a few well stocked lakes anymore. The Environment Agency and leading fishery consultants are helping landowners to restore pools to their former glory. The provision of car parks, cafes and even holiday units on coarse and game fishing sites are turning this leisure pursuit into an attractive business venture.
Touring Caravans & Camp Sites: These are beginning to pop up all over the more picturesque and touristy parts of the countryside, as landowners capitalize on the current abundance of UK leisure time. Sites that have five or less caravans don’t require any planning consent and, under the 28 day rule, larger sites can be temporarily set up.
Adventure Holidays: (ie outwood bounds, childrens’ summer camps) are run by individual landowners or, more frequently, franchised to a specialist company.
Motor Sports: Motor cycle scrambling and trial riding, car rallying, terrain vehicles and quad bike events are largely using agricultural land under the twenty eight day rule.
Archery and Paint Balling: not to mention cycling and walking are utilising woodland all over the UK but whilst Field, Target and Indoor require little more than open woodland, a flat strip and an average sized barn, Planning Permission must be obtained even for a temporary site and Adventure Games need a Licence!
Cricket, Football, Golf and Tennis: Pitches, greens and courts are popping up all over the UK according to the large number of sports construction companies competing to turn that spare acre into a dream football pitch or a three court tennis site. And, with relevant planning, commercial use on such premises are actually making money.
So what determines land use today? As indicated above, twenty-first century UK land has become increasingly useable in all sorts of ways, limited only by your imagination, wallet and Planning Policy, and definitely not in this order…
