Lovely

There's absolutely no way I'd challenge any enforcement action or just put a loo in. The toilet was approved re: siting & design I just had a feeling that I should undertake some due diligence and check that all was good to go (no pun intended.) Then I was hit with the certification request. The loo would be for me and visitors ie. friends and people helping in the wood - inc arborists, handymen (re: fence repairs etc.) I'm not operating a camping site or anything that planning would have issue with. Maybe an occasional Macmillan coffee morning - nothing that would constitute a material change of use.

Scary stuff.

A very fair point, I have gone though the correct procedure and the toilet has actually been approved re: siting & design it's just the forestry usage angle that is the thing. This is why I thought it useful to post - even though there is no legal requirement to undertake forestry on agric land the council are using this as opportunity for refusal. The kicker is that I am undertaking forestry and the council have chosen to ignore this fact. I just thought it was useful to highlight, as someone might have similar experience now or in the future. You can present facts to a council and they can basically choose to ignore them and force you into an appeal process.

Ok I've mentioned I'm a horti only to indicate that I'm there for quite a while not just an hour or so here & there, I'm undertaking chainsaw work, processing wood, deadwooding, creating deadhedging, propagating etc - so when you're there for a significant time sometimes a loo is rather necessary. The previous owner of the wood showed me the bid - sealed bids are often used in house purchase. If people could get away with an offer of say 'I'll give you £500 over the asking price' it makes a mockery of the whole process. Also in the sealed bid process the seller is not duty bound to accept the highest offer.

No idea. Quite a few allotments have them, as well as woodland campsites, arboretums... Perhaps I'll just squat over a bucket - I'm sure the neighbours would love that.

I take your point but I'm a horticulturalist working in a wood, in that regard why do some allotments have toilets? They have plenty of buckets on site.

No I'm not planning to live there. Some of my would-be visitors would not feel comfortable using a bucket. Everyone has a right to sanitation.

Great info but the forestry issue is a complete misnomer the land is designated agricultural. The definition of which includes forestry as well as fruit growing and horticuture. Yes it's small site but shelter and a loo (which after all is a human right- 'the right to sanitation') is not a major ask. I do not live next to the land. The key issue that should be of concern here is that councils seem able to 'interpet' planning law v subjectively. Even though not relevant to pd on agric land, I included a shedload of info about the forestry undertaken in my planning statement yet the council ignored it all. How can a council wait 7months and then come up with the very same result without any site visit let alone phone conversation? Call me old fashioned but that is fundamentally wrong. No other industry to my knowledge acts in this way.

Best suggestion so far. 😂

You are right however the land is designated as agriculture, the focus on forestry is a complete misnomer. I am a horticulturalist some shelter and storage irrespective of the size of the land is not a big ask. Access to adequate sanitation is also a human right. If this kind of malarkey goes unchallenged then it will get worse. I have been defamed by both the parish and district council - in this day & age - there is no place for old-school tactics like these. My mum is in the final stage of vascular dementia, this wood was to be my respite and if I want the basics of a loo then with respect I will jolly well fight for it. BTW When the neighbours tried to buy the land their bid was "£1000 over the highest bid' - which makes a mockery of the sealed bid process - that's the kind of people you're dealing with. All I'm doing is standing up for myself and my rights. I don't expect everyone to agree. My one shed is at the back of the wood hidden away, the loo will be at the far side again not in view. I'm causing no issue to anyone but bullying is the lowest of the low.

There was no chance I could just put a loo in I am surrounded one one side by the neighbours that tried to buy the land. My would-be visitors are of a certain age and would not be happy using a pit/bucket. Yes I mean an FOI request - they are the gifts that keep on giving. For example - email quotes from the tree officer: 'I've bodged an extra heritage condition' and 'the tree report could be more robust but it could swing by if you want it gone.' 😐The loo is only part of the story I have so much other stuff it's a real old pals act between the parish and the district council - maybe I should write that book!

I would love to lob in a blue portalooo but the wood is within a conservation area. I'm not planning on living in the wood it's just that the people who'd like to visit aren't keen on using a bucket or a pit. This is also only a tiny part of the story the parish council have been after me for 4yrs it's a vendetta and I'm honestly not being OTT.

Brill!

Brilliant!