Planning & Site Preparation
Planning Permission
You will usually need to obtain planning permission for your stables; this is sometimes
a daunting process but not impossible. There are a few exceptions, such as if the
building is within the curtilage of your garden. In most cases, you can build in
your garden without planning permission (there are guidelines for this and they
do vary across the country); it is always wise to ask your local council. Also,
if you are replacing an old building for a new one, then you may not need planning
permission but again, you would be wise to ask.
We can supply you with the necessary elevation drawings needed for planning permission.
These are drawn by our own architect to the standard required by the authorities.
We do charge for this service, the cost of which will depend on the nature and size
of your proposed project, but this cost is fully refunded when you place an order
with us.
You will also need to supply a site plan of your property with the proposed project
clearly marked (this is usually in the form of a Land Registry site map that you
get when you buy a property or an Ordinance Survey map, scale 1:2500).
Groundworks & Site Preparaton
We strongly recommend that you have your stables installed on a concrete base with
a plinth course of semi-engineering bricks. Your local groundworker or builder will
be able to advise on depth of hardcore and concrete needed to suit the subsoil in
your area.
As a guide, we recommend 100mm (4”) of concrete over 150mm (6”) of hardcore. If
you intend to drive your horsebox lorry onto your base, it would be wise to add
reinforcing mesh to the concrete. A damp-proof membrane is recommended between the
hardcore and the concrete if your area is especially prone to flooding. Concrete
should be of the ‘stock mix’ type. This has an acid inhibitor in the mix, which
stops the acid in urine from eating in to the concrete.The way you tackle drainage
in your yard will depend on the lay of the land. We suggest a slight fall from the
front of the stables to disperse water.
We have a list of groundworkers around most parts of the country and our own groundworker
will happily quote for your needs in the Sussex area. We can send you a plan of
your project for groundworkers to price from. This gives you a chance to make any
changes to your proposed layout.
In most cases (unless you’re hundreds of miles from us, for which there may be a
small charge) one of our team will be happy to visit your site to advise you and
help with any queries you may have.