Distinctive buildings for discerning clients

Case studies - Transportable / mobile homes

Norwegian Log's transportable cabins are treated as mobile homes for Planning purposes. The advantages are enormous, because an old caravan, for example, can be replaced with a luxurious transportable lodge with all modern conveniences. Norwegian Log transportable cabins and lodges are also VAT-free, which can save thousands from your budget.

We can also overcome problems such as restricted access to your land, which was Mavis Dunkley's headache. Mavis wanted her family to join her on her 30-acre smallholding and help run it. The smallholding already had planning permission for the mobile home in which Mavis and her late husband Peter had lived for nearly twenty years.

Mavis and her family wanted to take advantage of the maximum size of 20 x 6.8 metres allowed by the Caravan Act, but feared they might have to settle for a home much smaller than they really wanted because access down the lane to the smallholding was very restricted.

Daughter Julie discovered Norwegian Log's transportable homes, which are delivered as components that are easy to manoeuvre, which solved the access problem. Furthermore, their designers were able to meet the family's requirement for Mavis to have her own space at one end of the home.

The family were impressed by how Norwegian Log made sure their new home satisfied all the Caravan Act criteria, and are enjoying their comfortable new lifestyle to the full.

Getting full benefit from an Agricultural Tie

David and Claire Holder needed to be on hand to care for livestock in their new beef unit in Gloucestershire. They had three-year temporary permission for an Agricultural Tie, but did not relish living in a caravan for three years. When they discovered Norwegian Log's transportable homes, they realised their problem was solved. With ample space for the family of four, their transportable home has made a big difference to their quality of life. David is close at hand and has the chance to call in at home during the day, which is good for the whole family.

Fulfilling PPS7 criteria

Anne Gow and partner Ian run the successful Farmer Gow's Activity Farm Park in Oxfordshire. From the outset, they wanted to be on hand at all times, but they didn't want to have to live in a cold and draughty mobile home. After surveying the market, they applied for a temporary three-year licence under PPS7 for a Norwegian Log transportable home. The process was straightforward because the transportable home fulfilled PPS7's five criteria and the Norwegian Log team handled everything from providing drawings for the application to designing the home to Anne's precise requirements.

Downsizing with a Certificate of Lawful Development

When international dressage judge and former Olympic selector Sally Merrison stayed in a Norwegian Log holiday home, she told her husband Harry it was the kind of home she wanted for their impending retirement. Harry was able to get a Certificate of Lawful Development from the Local Authority to replace the mobile home on their farm with a Norwegian Log transportable home, enabling son Simon and family to move into the main farmhouse. Sally and Harry now have the new home they wanted, where they wanted it, and are enjoying a cosy and comfortable retirement.

Replaces a caravan

Octogenarian Mrs Betty Fricker has swapped her old metal caravan, her home for over 30 years, for a Norwegian Log transportable home. Mrs Fricker had applied for Planning Permission for a bungalow on her South Oxfordshire site, which is in an area of outstanding beauty, but it was refused. However, a Norwegian Log transportable home was acceptable to the Planning Department because it merely replaced an existing mobile home. And even better for Mrs Fricker, it was zero-rated for VAT, which was a substantial saving for her.

Stay close to home

Many farmers approaching retirement want to stay on or near the farm. A good example is farmer David Jones, his wife Betty and son Kevin. They had an old mobile home on the farm that had been in continuous occupancy. A certificate of Lawful Development was obtained, which meant that David could replace the mobile home with a Norwegian Log transportable home. Unlike a traditional brick and mortar building, these log homes can be quickly delivered to site, and the Jones family was able to move in only a matter of weeks later.

Accommodation for key workers

Young Sussex shepherds James Bull and Sophie Pittman were offered their first job together by a local farmer, who wanted the couple to live on site to manage the flock he was developing. James and Sophie made do with a caravan in the farmyard for a couple of months, but are now enjoying life in a three-bedroom Norwegian Log transportable home - complete with wood-burning stove.

Planning Permission at last

Ed Mears and his partner Phara tried for years to obtain Planning Permission for a new home on their smallholding in rural Lincolnshire, but were always turned down. Then they discovered that their local authority would give permission for them to replace their old caravan with a Norwegian Log transportable home. They now have an individually designed double-glazed Norwegian Log home, with two bedrooms, bathroom, combined lounge and kitchen, utility room and outside decking.

 

© Norwegian Log 2013
:: Legal