Big J on radio 4..

[Ratman]

On a serious note, all these smaller farms that went bust or are on the verge of, i hope in the near future will get their chance again to “earn what they earn” as you put it and generate a wealthy living of their farms again!
We moved out of our 50 odd acre rented farm in 1996 after 10 yrs because we couldnt earn enough to carry on and pay a reasonable wage to survive. Its got even worse since then, hence more varied subsidies and grants available for allsorts of things, which is what is getting your back up here remember. Sooner we’re out the better!

[ESS]

1 minute ago, Big J said:

Fair enough, and I'm happy for them.

 

I nevertheless feel that the current planning regs are not fit for purpose as regards to rural workers and others might well be managing, but it's as much because they just don't have a choice. 

They have plenty of choices. So do you.

 

[monkeybusiness]

25 minutes ago, Big J said:

No, we have absolutely no choice. You are (respectfully) mistaken. 

 

If you wish to check, go on Rightmove and find me a house within a 5 mile radius of Uffculme suitable for a family of 4 (with a spare bedroom, as the grandparents come to stay frequently) with outbuildings or land to build barns. Try and find one for less than £600k....

You don’t NEED to live there though as far as I can see? You just want to. There are plenty of other options within budget surely. 

[LeeGray]

2 hours ago, Big J said:

Fair enough. If I did grant fund something like a harvester, the vast bulk of the value of my machines would still be privately funded by me. Yes the work would be done by someone else, of course, but that's always going to be the case in any industry. 

 

I'd argue it would be much better value than leaving people on benefits, as as well as the direct employment, the supply chain benefits are extensive, and for a circa £10k/yr grant funding requirement (if you divided the £60k over the 6 year period that I believe that you need to keep the machine for), the revenue benefit in income tax throughout the supply chain would exceed that . 

 

I'm sure some farm subsidies do go towards jobs, but those subsidies that effectively pay farmers not to farm are clearly not included in this.

Farmers aren’t paid not to farm, the opposite is true. In order to claim any subsidy the farm must be in agriculture order. This is a fact. 

[monkeybusiness]

Just now, Big J said:

We are here now. Business established, kids settled, brother 15 minutes down the road, life made. Our goal in life isn't the attainment of a comfortable family house and space to run a business from. It's to have a happy life, and the aforementioned housing makes that easier. 

 

2.5 acres per man woman and child in Devon. That is worth remembering. There is no shortage of space, just a shortage of desire to charge archaic and discriminatory planning laws.

I admire you BigJ and reckon we’d probably get along in person, but that is a terrible position to take IMO. 

 

I might as well move to Chelsea, rent a room, bung my sprogs in school, flog a few copies of the Big Issue and claim the same!

 

Surely I should be able to build a warehouse to store my magazines in and build a house on the same piece of land bought at agricultural rates (crap ground for growing anything on along the banks of the Thames so 3-4k an acre seems fair - it can’t be worth any more than that otherwise people would have unfairly benefited from planning legislation?).

 

I really don’t think you’re argument stacks up I’m afraid. 

[John Shutler]

56 minutes ago, Big J said:

No, we have absolutely no choice. You are (respectfully) mistaken. 

 

If you wish to check, go on Rightmove and find me a house within a 5 mile radius of Uffculme suitable for a family of 4 (with a spare bedroom, as the grandparents come to stay frequently) with outbuildings or land to build barns. Try and find one for less than £600k....

there are several properties on right move under 600K with 4/5 bedrooms and a bit of land, one of them with an AOC

Id wager that none would be suitable for your needs, poor design blah blah blah......

The long and short of it, is your pissed that planning doesn't meet your own exacting standards

You've moved into an area, made little effort to integrate or engraciate yourself with local people and are feeling hard done by that people don't give you cheap yard rent

I live on a smallholding, my yard (which is reasonable rent) is 5 mins drive from my house and I've got the space to bring tractors and trailers home with me when needed. I certainly don't waste much energy on wishing that I had my whole setup at home, and to be honest I would want to put my neighbours through having to live next to a contractors yard

[LeeGray]

4 minutes ago, Big J said:

The landowner adjacent to our site has 180 acres and I was simply quoting him when he said "we're paid not to farm"

Yes but it’s not true, by spreading these lies your pushing more people to believe this. If I went on a farming forum and said all forestry contractors got grant funding at 40% for machinery I think farmers would look at them in a different light and possibly deal with them in a different way. We all have a responsibility to stick to facts in this day and age where so much ‘alt fact’ stuff is in the media. 

[John Shutler]

3 minutes ago, Big J said:

Links please

Check out this property for sale on Rightmove!

WWW.RIGHTMOVE.CO.UK

---

4 bedroom detached house for sale in Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon, EX14 £450,000. Marketed by Stags, Honiton

 

Check out this property for sale on Rightmove!

WWW.RIGHTMOVE.CO.UK

---

4 bedroom bungalow for sale in Wellisford, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 £500,000. Marketed by Fine & Country...

 

 

[Ratman]

Check out this property for sale on Rightmove!

WWW.RIGHTMOVE.CO.UK

---

4 bedroom detached house for sale in Dunkeswell, Honiton, Devon, EX14 £540,000. Marketed by Stags, Honiton

[John Shutler]

6 minutes ago, Big J said:

That's nonsense and you have absolutely no basis on which to make that statement. 

if how you come across on the forum is anything to go by, I would say thats a pretty good basis for that statement