Scottish Hutting Campaign

[wrekin]

Fascinating reading:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/05/scottish-hutting-campaign-2012

http://www.reforestingscotland.org/projects/huts.php

http://brightgreenscotland.org/index.php/2011/06/hutting-a-social-revolution-waiting-to-happen/

A very different way of looking at the issue!

[jillybean]

Interesting, I suppose if the equivalent of hutting were to become legal in England then all our woods would be slathered in huts. not sure its a great idea.

[happybonzo]

I like the idea. If I could charge people rent for their huts, then I'm all for it.

If the huts are being put up without permission then Mr D6 usually persuades them to leave

[Solar Wood]

Hello am I being dense? Mr D6 ?? Hutting in the UK is it new? Was it not what coppicers were doing? Ben Law? Why is Wales ahead of the game with people living off grid? Lots of questions??

[wrekin]

The hutting movement is saying that it's ok to own a 'cabin in the woods' as a holiday home. That it's actually a good thing for people from cities to reconnect with nature and the countryside in this way. That planning law is stifling this unnecessarily. That Scandanavian countries where this is far more common haven't got it wrong: something like half of Norwegians have the use of a hut in the countryside that they or their extended family owns.

It feels like too often we're kowtowing to some kind of puritanical agenda that says that second homes and rural development etc are "sinful", rather than something that makes people's lives better.

Log cabins in a few hectares of woodland wouldn't amount to tarmacing the countryside.

[Henrietta]

Good idea! Very popular in New Zealand where they are called batches. If you travel on the Picton ferry from Wellinton, you can see the batches along the way through the sounds, many of them travelled to by boat.

[Rich]

Yeah very relaxed planning laws as well. A friend of mine raised 7 kids in varioius of his sheds, caravans and 'Batches' on his small holding! (it's an abreviation of Batchelor pad I think, but he was married). Fortunately they've all since grown up and flown the nest as one of them was flattened by a falling boulder in the earth quake last year.

[Steve Medlock]

An unexpected purchase in the Tate Modern bookshop on Sunday was this excellent book, listed here (cheaper) on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tiny-Homes-Shelter-Lloyd-Kahn/dp/0936070528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328205998&sr=8-1

Made me think back to this thread....

[davetb]

Hi, I bought this book from Amazon, after reading the thread. It has lots of amazing photos. I love looking at the background - chairs, tables, kettles, steps etc., that give me some great ideas. I have a vague 'dream' to build a shelter on a trailer / caravan chassis, for overnight stays.....we'll see.

[Steve Medlock]

I fancy one of these.....

http://www.fairoakfarm.co.uk/treehouse-holiday-accommodation-uk.htm

(Other tree houses are available)

Steve