Down the lane from our house is our little flower filled field which is home to our tiny flock of sheep and we believe, the perfect place to pop a couple of shepherd huts.

Do we need planning permission?

The answer is, it depends. We don’t need planning permission to put huts on the land if they are for our own use but if we intended to rent them to holiday makers we would need permission to change the use of the land. Whenever shepherd huts are used for commercial/rental purposes this is likely to be the situation.

*N.B. Please see further down the article for an important update to planning for commercial use.

It can be confusing but generally speaking you won’t need planning permission to site a shepherd’s hut if you want to place your hut in your garden or on a parcel of land if it’s for personal use. This makes a shepherd’s hut a fantastic option if you need an additional room but are unable to gain planning permission for an extension. And don’t forget, unlike an extension, you can take your shepherd’s hut with you if you move!

However if you intend to use your hut as holiday accommodation or if you want to live in it permanently then you may need apply for change of use for the land it will be sited on.

*UPDATE – it is now possible to obtain a planning exemption licence for up to 5 shepherd huts to be used for year around Glamping accommodation.  This is a legal licence which also extends to those located in National Parks and ANOB. It requires that certain criteria be fulfilled, but these sensible principles are designed to ensure sites have have minimal negative impact on their surroundings and we meet them comfortably with our Holiday Huts. Larger sites will still need planning permission for change of use. For more information visit either Woodland Champions Club or   Freedom Camping Club’s website 

As our attention is firmly fixed on building shepherd huts for others we have decided to keep our meadow with its two shepherd huts to ourselves for now. The first is our guest bedroom come bolt hole where we can often be found tucked up with the log burner roaring – our own personal haven. The second, smaller hut is our quiet office which is perfect for getting work done without distractions, all of which is enjoyed without planning permission.

If you want more information or to discuss how the planning may effect you drop us a line or give us a call.

Tel: 07761 983312 

Email: info@whitepeakshepherdhuts.uk