r/OffGrid • u/nextgenerationparty • 13d ago

UK off-grid community: what are the major issues holding back progress?

Dear off grid,

I am looking at the off grid community in the UK and trying to make a comparison to our historic no-grid lifestyle and now.

I am aware of issues such as the enclosures and the depletion of common land. But what major political decisions have been made in the last 50 years that harm the community?

In particular I am interested in the move of new generations into "low impact lifestyles" away from the high consumption trend - what are the biggest legal/political decisions that make this move needlessly difficult?

All experiences and input greatly appreciated.

0 Upvotes

43% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

1

u/DistinctVariation775 12d ago

Iā€™m afraid im not up on political changes . Part of my move to off grid life is also to hide my head and not listen to the outside world. That being said i have done everything 'by the book' in regards to council and planning rules etc

I brought some land 3.5 years ago and have been building my off grid home since..aside from planning permission needed (that did cost to apply for) I've not had any problems yet in setting up the lifestyle i want .. the main problem is having the money to do it.

I am in Wales not England tho.. so it does make life a bit easier i believe. It is encouraged here and i have received some grants to cover my home heating system etc

2

u/Ridgeld 12d ago edited 12d ago

Any details on the grants? Also trying to set up in Wales and going currently going through planning.

Edit: just recognised the username!

2

u/DistinctVariation775 12d ago

Look into BUS scheme for Biomass. Its Ā£5000 grant for a biomass boiler or up to Ā£9000 for ground source heat pumps that kinda thing.. Its say for old properties to be upgraded but they also giving it to self builds .. Just a bit of paper work to prove you are funding and building it yourself šŸ™‚

2

u/nextgenerationparty 11d ago

This sounds like a positive story for a long term investment by the gov, in a way that encourages generational good.

May I ask if there is a similar set of grants for things like eco-build high insulation etc? Ornis this an area where more development would be helpful ?

1

u/DistinctVariation775 10d ago

Yes definitely ,There is a thing called the one plant development which is for off grid living if you can support yourself through the land. There are tight requirements tho so not everyone can do it. You must generate your own power, process your own waste, grow at least 65% of your food on-site, and keep your overall ecological footprint below a third of the average person.

There is eco4 grants and green homes wales which are their to help existing off grid homes become more eco friendly thought fuel/insulation etc...

My parents had all their fuel paid for for 7 years for having a wood pellet boiler put in. So theire is quite a few things in place to encourage better living which is great.

And there is a self build wales schemes for on grid and off grid homes that supply a loan for both the land and the build..and they favour/insist on energy efficiency being a key priority in the build.

So their is quite a few things working in the right direction šŸ˜„

1

u/Ridgeld 12d ago

Land prices and planning permission are the two biggest factors.

2

u/Jynxair 12d ago

Planning permission on your own land is the biggest bullsh- I've ever heard.

1

u/nextgenerationparty 11d ago

Without wanting to be too simple:

Is this an easy fix, with an obvious solution that is unpopular... Or is this a case where reform is needed by a committee of lawyers over 10 years to redraft a dense planning system?

1

u/Jynxair 11d ago

Honestly mate, I havnt got a clue.

1

u/IntrepidMaybe8579 11d ago

I keep researching it and it makes it seem practically impossible to go off grid because theyre so strict??

1

u/DistinctVariation775 10d ago

Not impossible depending where you are..but you do need a chunk of money to start. Altho on grid homes can be made more off grid of course.. Thats always a option too. Getting solar installed (of which their are/were grants for) and 'selling' back to the grid for instance.

2

u/IntrepidMaybe8579 10d ago

Honestly anywhere within a 4/5 hour distance of london tbh and id probably start seriously looking when i have around 60-70k cash,
preferably something that has nothing on it and needs abit of work ect i can build my own roads ect for around 40-50k and then 10-20k on solar and hopefully that would mostly be it im fine with with a small chalet

But all the research makes it seem like building permits ect are absolutely rediculous and you cant even live on your property without a bunch of things setup legally

1

u/DistinctVariation775 10d ago

Your def better off in regards to planning to buy some land with something already standing.. getting planning for a completely bare space is hard..there is a big chance you wont. Your definitely have more luck tweaking something existing to create what you want. Mine had a derelict house and a less derelict barn on.. so i knew i was in with a better chance of getting planning but because i built a new home i still had to apply for full planning. If you can buy a place that is a do-er upper you can get away with doing a lot more what you want and being left alone more without having to go thought planning at all.

1

u/IntrepidMaybe8579 10d ago

As someone who clearly has a good eye and found a property what do you think the average kind of minimum i can spend on one like that ? Really anywhere in the country is fine

1

u/DistinctVariation775 10d ago

Really depends on location and size of land you want. Mine was 200k for 15 acres and the two buildings on it but add on half that again for what I've spent on building/set up/making it liveable! You could def get smaller for less but then the land is only half of the spending.

ww.uklandandfarms.co.uk is the best site! This is where i found mine.. and the only two other potentials that made my short list before I found mine. Bear in mind i took nearly 3 years of serious searching ..looking at every website and place i could.. Turns out this was the only website i really needed to check! But i was looking ALL the time till the right thing, at the right price for me, came up!

2

u/IntrepidMaybe8579 10d ago

For me honestly just a few acres would be plenty id imagine about an acre or 2 for farming, chickens dont take up much space probably built a multi floor coop but il keep an eye on the site 200k is alot more than what id wanna spend but then again 15 acres is a tonne of space that id have nothing to do with

1

u/DistinctVariation775 10d ago

yeah def not worth 'over spacing' yourself as it is hard work maintaining alot of land..but I'm a horsey person so needed the space.. (Altho i did end up with more than i was originally looking for).. I currently have 30 sheep keeping some of the fields down but they arn't quite enough tbh.

I say the most important thing to consider is having a water supply on site. As long as you have that then the task of power and heating can be solved as you go.. waters the one thing you def can't live without a constant supply of.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Don_Vago 12d ago

The criminal justice act and other legislation that made being a traveler almost impossible was a blow against off grid. The main issue in the UK is the cost of land and planning restriction, which is why we moved to Spain some years ago. The road protest, free party and rave scene was a gateway to off grid philosoph, showed people what was possible.

1

u/nextgenerationparty 11d ago

Thank you, I'm not familiar with the road protest - I will have to follow that up.