Do I need Planning Permission for Mobile Field Shelters?

The short answer should be “NO” but it’s not quite as straightforward as that and you need to ensure that you have dotted all the "i's" and crossed all of the "t's" before assuming that you don’t need planning permission and also ideally before plonking your field shelter in said field.

The heart of the matter perhaps lies within the word “mobile”, for if your shelter is truly that – “mobile” then in most cases it is likely to be exempt from planning permission. However, if any ground works have been carried out in order to situate your shelter, then this is an altogether different matter and is much more likely to be subject to planning permission. If you cannot move your field shelter around the field or from one location to another, then it really isn't considered “mobile” at all!

What might the people in the planning regulations department be looking for when deciding whether your structure is indeed mobile or not? They might look for evidence that it has been moved on a fairly frequent basis (perhaps every 6-8 weeks). You are permitted to place your shelter on skids (steel or wooden). They will also require evidence that no ground works have been conducted in order for the shelter to function. Of course, the easiest way to sort it all out is to contact your local planning office and outline your intended plans to them – this will hopefully prevent any controversy further down the line.

Once you have overcome any potential planning hurdles, you will be free to enjoy all of the benefits that a mobile field shelter can deliver. You can move it around your field (or fields) into the best location depending on the season – you might want to avoid a quagmire in wetter, colder weather. You can also position your shelter so that it is largely sheltered from any inclement weather conditions.

Once again, however, if you are in any doubt whatsoever, we strongly advise anyone looking to build a mobile shelter to contact their local planning department in advance thus avoiding any chances of problems arising after the structure has been erected.

Please contact the team at Cheval Liberte for much more information regarding mobile field shelters.

Cheval Liberte - The Prestige Range of Internal Stables

Internal stables are a way of utilising an existing building to house your new stables, rather than having to build everything from scratch. If the buildings in question are currently empty, then you already have a head start. You may actually need to purchase new stabling or you could simply use the potential of the buildings to bring in some extra cash.

Cheval Liberte has a range of options for those looking for internal stables including our standard range and hugely popular Prestige Range. With both options you will get a high quality product, including strength and longevity. Both ranges also offer the same practicality and functionality and can be installed very easily.

However, the Prestige Range offers those who are looking for a little more pizazz, the ideal solution – adding layers of style to the already sound foundations of the standard range. There are a selection of frontages to choose from including the Auteuil, the Vittel, the Longchamp, the Fontainebleau, the Deauville (see our Finland blog post for more on this one), the Vincennes and the Chambord. All offer style in abundance but each one has different characteristics that you can perhaps match to those of your existing building.

For much more information about the Prestige Range of internal stables, please visit the main Cheval Liberte website.

Internal Stables - Speedy Assembly for Happy Clients in Finland

Cheval Liberte recently undertook the not inconsiderable task of successfully coordinating and completing the installation of some internal stables in the town of Espoo – which is near the capital city of Helsinki in Finland. Our Prestige Range of internal stables is extremely popular and this is what the client in Finland requested, complete with Deauville frontages. There are a number of other frontage styles and finishes within the Prestige range but this particular style features two outer posts with horse’s heads at the top and two inner posts with discs.

In total, we installed 24 of these stables and it took around 36 hours from start of assembly and installation to the project being completed and ready for use. These kind of stables can be particularly useful if you already have an existing, empty building, with measurements and dimensions taken and plans drawn up so that the stables can be built to specification and your once empty building becomes a wonderful and stylish new home for your horses.

If you want to read a more detailed account of the team’s adventure to Finland, you can find it over on website main website at the Cheval Liberte Finland Case Study.

Preparing for Horse Shows and Events with Temporary Stables

The summer months are a popular time to host various horse shows and events around the UK. With dressage, show jumping and a whole host of other equestrian based events taking place, you may be considering taking your horses to compete. If you are new to the equestrian world and wondering where you might be able to house the horses during the event in question, you will be pleased to know that help is at hand in the form of Cheval Liberte’s temporary stables.

Providing proper shelter and accommodation can ensure that the horses are truly the stars of the show. At Cheval Liberte we stock and supply what we call Hyppic Temporary Stables which only take a few minutes to assemble from their flat pack arrival.

They are fairly light in nature, whilst remaining strong and sturdy enough to keep your animals safe and secure, thanks to a galvanised steel framework. They are also pretty versatile and they can be set up either side by side or back to back, which can be particularly useful if you are travelling the country attending multiple shows and the available amount of installation space changes from venue to venue.

For lots more information about temporary stables, please visit the main Cheval Liberte website.

With Summer Approaching a Field Shelter Could Prove Invaluable for Your Horses

Your horses are likely to have been stabled during the harsh winter months and even through the early spring, but with temperatures warming up and the nights drawing out, many of you will be gradually introducing the horses back into pasture. Of course, it’s important to do this carefully and incrementally as the horses will have become very accustomed to their winter time surroundings and conditions.

If the horses are going to be outside for the majority of time, it is well worth considering erecting a field shelter as this will provide some much needed shade for when the sun really reaches its peak. It also provides shelter from other inclement weather.

Cheval Liberte can supply a variety of field shelters, ranging from very basic but effective static field shelters through to slightly more elaborate mobile shelters. The mobile version is of course a little more versatile and perhaps easier to handle and can be towed across large fields until you reach the most suitable area for the shelter to rest in. Depending on your requirements, the static shelter might prove to be a more affordable option and they are available in a number of different sizes and dimensions.

If you haven’t considered this kind of sheltering for your horses before, now might be the time to think seriously about it. Please contact us at Cheval Liberte for much more information.

Cheval Liberte Alphabet - "M" is for "Manoir" Barn

We are now officially half way through our Cheval Liberte alphabet adventure, we have been taking a look at some of the passions, projects and products of the company.

We have reached the letter “M” and this leads us to the “Manoir” barn which can be found within the roster of our American barns. A little like the Laminate barn we looked at in the last chapter, the Manoir barn is modular in design, which effectively means the amount of bays you can have is only limited by the size of the product you choose to order.

Each bay features two stalls while the barn structure itself is fitted with large sliding doors which makes access to the barn straightforward. In addition to all of the standard features, there are also some interesting optional extras that can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

How about a clock tower with fully functioning clock to give your new barn a particularly grand and impressive appearance? You can also opt for smaller windows that feature a “Roman” style arch.

If you want to see (in image form) one of the Cheval Liberte Manoir barns being constructed, you can check out our main website, where you will also find lots more information about other barn styles and lots more related to the equestrian world.

Cheval Liberte Alphabet - "L" is for "Laminate" American Barns

If you are planning an American Barn style set up as part of your new enterprise or extension of an existing one, there are a number of different options available to consider. An American Barn is pretty much what you would expect, a usually large internal space that is ideal for accommodating horses.

Here at Cheval Liberte, we actually stock four different kinds of American style barn and one of them is the Laminate. It’s a modular design, which means if you so wish, you can have a number of different bays to suit your requirements. Each of these bays will feature two stalls. The structure of the barn itself is where the “Laminate” name comes from, with the galvanised steel framework being clad in timber. This of course makes the structure look much more attractive from the outside and easily convinces as a fully made from wood building.

There are again a number of different options available, depending on your preferences. Barn Type 50 features 40mm thick tanalised pine, while Barn Type 70 features 65mm thick tanalised pine.

You can find out lots more about Cheval Liberte American Barns and in particular the Laminate Barn, over at our main website.