I've been toying with the idea of buying some land as an invesment, now seeing as I have a new hobby, I was wondering if anyone knew what hoops I'd have to jump through to be able to bung a few obstacles in there and start riding over them.

It's obviously possible otherwise there wouldn't be trials parks.

Getting change of use planning permission is the hardest thing.

Getting change of use planning permission is the hardest thing.

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What are woods used for in the first place? (apart from housing bugs and creepies).

What are woods used for in the first place?.

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Chav pad

generally speaking the land part is easy

we want the land no one else does, ie rocks, woods, etc

the problem is panning law

in england and wales you are under the town and country planning act (and other legislation) which restrict you to 14 noisy usages (trails can be interpreted to be non noisy and 28 usages). you also can't technically import stuff like logs, rocks, etc

to get more usages and build stuff like car parks, etc you need planning permission that is very onerous but not impossible if you can phrase it right and speak the right BS

is would recommend a real long look at the library on the LARA website - http://www.laragb.org/

Sorry to play devils advocate here, but another thing you need to consider is public liability insurance cover.

If anyone else is going to ride on your land with your permission, even if they do not pay you, they may have a case to claim for any injuries which occur.

Sorry to play devils advocate here, but another thing you need to consider is public liability insurance cover.

If anyone else is going to ride on your land with your permission, even if they do not pay you, they may have a case to claim for any injuries which occur.

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You are right, but it's not compulsory is it?

You could get away with it,

if you allow people on your land but dont tell them there allowed on it...as in go there but say 'aint saying you can'... so there kinda illegally there but you wont prosecute them.

.. ok.. doubt that makes sense and i dont know if thats fool proof but i know of a farmer that kinda does that..but i dont think he rides

You could get away with it,

if you allow people on your land but dont tell them there allowed on it...as in go there but say 'aint saying you can'... so there kinda illegally there but you wont prosecute them.

.. ok.. doubt that makes sense and i dont know if thats fool proof but i know of a farmer that kinda does that..but i dont think he rides

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Makes perfect sense. To be honest, if by some chance I do find a bit of woodland that's interesting enough, it'll only be me and a few trusted friends who will play. I like woods to walk around and chill out in as well.

You could get away with it,

if you allow people on your land but dont tell them there allowed on it...as in go there but say 'aint saying you can'... so there kinda illegally there but you wont prosecute them.

.. ok.. doubt that makes sense and i dont know if thats fool proof but i know of a farmer that kinda does that..but i dont think he rides

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Makes perfect sense. To be honest, if by some chance I do find a bit of woodland that's interesting enough, it'll only be me and a few trusted friends who will play. I like woods to walk around and chill out in as well.

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If you are sure your trusted friends would never make a claim against you and no passing members of the public could ever be injured, then yes you would get away with it.

Chances are that you would also get away without applying for change of use too.

I actually own a number of pieces of agricultural land which doesn't earn me any (much) money, my problem is making it suitable for trials practice. As soon as I do this, I can guarantee someone will notify the local council.

I would love to make it inot a trials practice park and charge riders a nominal fee to ride. But it really is a mine field if I do this fully above board.

Let us know how you get on. I still haven't completely given up on the idea myself.

Ok let me get this straight, it sounds to me like you cant just get on and ride your trials bike on your own land without planning permission???

is this just in England? what a ridiculous scenario...

Is this the same in scotland?

s.m.

Ok let me get this straight,  it sounds to me like you cant just get on and ride your trials bike on your own land  without planning permission???

is this just in England?  what a ridiculous scenario...

Is this the same in scotland?

s.m.

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Mate, given the amount of public servants in Scotland, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an entire department dedicated to stopping people riding trials bikes on their own land.

I all likelihood, I'd imagine that if you bordered off an area with thick bushes and fast growing trees and mae sure the entrance wasn't obvious, then no one will be able to see you anyway, and what's to say that 2 stroke noise isn't a chainsaw? Yes, it's ridiculous, especially seeing as other countries don't seem to have Anti Fun and Anti Bloke laws.

Yes, it's ridiculous, especially seeing as other countries don't seem to have Anti Fun and Anti Bloke laws.

Quite!

On the one hand TheGov want more ASBOs handed out to the louts that stand on street corners "with nuttin' to do guv"

And then on the other hand TheGov want to close down and prevent people from (re)using their land to the benefit of all to use for recreation.

<please insert your own swear word here, go on, be creative, cos they can't control that... yet>

Ok let me get this straight,  it sounds to me like you cant just get on and ride your trials bike on your own land  without planning permission???

is this just in England?  what a ridiculous scenario...

Is this the same in scotland?

s.m.

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Where you come unstuck with the authorities is if you change the land.

If you own somewhere that has natural trials terrain, then you can ride on it as much as you like. Change it, or charge people to ride on it, then it's just a matter of time before the bowler hats come knocking.

I took down six old polythene tunnels (plastic green houses) that were no longer profitable, I leveled the ground and grassed it over. Nice, tidy and neat.

Within a few months an official letter arrived, I had to make a retrospective planning application for 'change of use' from agricultural to grass land.

The local planning dept can be extremely petty and pedantic over things a lot more acceptable than dirty great noisey motorcycles roaring around the countryside at high speed.

Ok let me get this straight,