Snowdonia National Park Authority

[Coed Barcud]

I recently bought a 3.5 acre woodland near Dolgellau but I am having issues with Snowdonia National Park Authority because I left some tents up over the summer as temporary sheds and built a compost toilet, I have also been told I cannot leave a Tipi up as all these things are not deemed to be for Forestry purposes and NO Leisure is permitted, I must remove everything by 30th September. I have been told I can have a shed but they wont tell me the maximum size instead I must produce a Woodland Management plan and then apply for permission, does anyone know anyone with similar issues and what was the outcome

[oldclaypaws]

Just to illustrate different regional approaches, I asked our lot (South Somerset), apart from a Cabin as a toolstore & shelter (OK, no probs), how did they feel about the idea of me maybe putting up a couple of Yurts and renting them out to holiday makers? "Oh, we strongly support anything that promotes tourism- provided access and parking are OK, we'd be in favour of that".

- The farm down the road has a Yurt and converted railway carriage for just that purpose, and very popular they are too.

Just shows the differences, a bit of a postcode lottery.

[oldclaypaws]

I think the best conclusion from the various issues we've heard about National Parks is don't buy a wood in a National Park if you want to erect sheds and use it for leisure- you are likely to get planning grief.

We've heard this from woodland owners in The Peak District, The Lakes, Dartmoor and now Snowdonia.

I was relieved to find I'm 2 miles outside an AONB, the Blackdown Hills, they are far stricter. It does need thought when buying a wood.

[Dexter's Shed]

I too looked at many woods within the AONB, but on reading up on them, phoned the relevant council bodies first to ask a few questions on what I could or couldn't do, their answers made me not touch them with a bargepole

[Bearwood]

There is no maximum size shed allowed for forestry purposes....It's a huge planning loophole. I nearly fell of my tractor when the Local Planning Officer told me that!

Your best bet is to put together a good solid management plan (the Forestry Commission have an excellent blank template on their website-you can even claim a grant to fill it out too). Identify what you want to do forestry-wise and then serve notice (with drawings) to the local planning authority that you wish to erect a shed for forestry purposes in line with your woodland management plan and desire to manage the woodland sympathetically. They have 28 days to object from receipt, if they don't provide it then I understand you can crack-on and build. Be mindful that the shed will be just that; no beds, toilets, dining rooms etc.

I can't afford to build the size of shed I want in the materials I want, but I've sounded it out with the LPA and all is good. It's all down to interpretation of Chapter 7 of Town & Country Planning, and your relationship with the Planning Authority and NOT the park authority in your case. I'd take your tents down and be humble with both the Park Authority and Planning Authority and start again if you have a long term goal.

If you can prove that the tents are for use as accommodation for seasonal forestry workers (again, there is no specified season in Chapter 7...Another loophole), in accordance with your management plan, the tents will probably also be allowed. Not only that, I'm sure they're classed as a temporary structure; the Park Authority are assuming they're for leisure as well, which you state they are not.

Kudos on the compost toilet was well! The other half keeps badgering me to get one sorted.

[Coed Barcud]

Thanks Bearwood, I will speak to the Forestry Commission this week and get things started