poly tunnels

[marcros]

Does anybody have any experience with polytunnels? I am speccing one for home, and have a few questions.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Got planning permission? I believe it's needed now, afaik.

 

[marcros]

that will be something i need to check then.

 

[marcros]

from what i can see, i am ok with a "domestic" sized one. I am only looking at something 12x10 as a replacement to an old greenhouse. Since you seem to have to pay to make such enquiries now at the planning office, I wont be doing that option.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, I can't see a problem with one that size - the paying for an enquiry bit stinks, doesn't it?

 

[marcros]

It seems to discourage the people that want to stay the right side of the law to not bother. Most people are happy enough to submit an application if they need to or design within the allowances, but now you can't check what you are planning is right or wrong.

But I guess it isn't an argument we are ever going to win and they will claim that the new way of doing things generates money that it didn't before.

 

[powertools]

Most info can be got from the planning portal site:-
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/wps/po ... BIS9nQSEh/
I would assume that a tunnel would be the same rules as a shed or greenhouse.

 

[nanscombe]

Expanding on the above link Planning Portal - Outbuildings

...
Planning permission
Outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwellinghouse.
No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
On designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.
...
Building Regulations
If you want to put up small detached buildings such as a garden shed or summerhouse in your garden, building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and contains NO sleeping accommodation.

If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed of substantially non-combustible materials.

This section provides you with general information to help you comply with the Building Regulations when constructing a new outbuilding within the boundaries of an existing property, such as:

garage or carport
summerhouse or shed
greenhouse
...

The bits in bold seem to be the two of the lower limits.

 

[marcros]

i should be fine then on the planning front, thanks.

My concern/question however was regarding ventilation, and whether ventilation through the doors would be sufficient, or whether I should have a 2ft strip at the bottom as a mesh as well. Also layout of beds and paths within the tunnel.

 

[DMF]

My concern/question however was regarding ventilation, and whether ventilation through the doors would be sufficient, or whether I should have a 2ft strip at the bottom as a mesh as well. Also layout of beds and paths within the tunnel.

Hi,

been away again getting my shoulder chopped up this time but back Sunday morning so if you can wait till then I can take a couple of pics of what I have set up this year?

Basically set up a small 30 odd m2 veg plot with a 4x2x2m tunnel on just so I had a project to do while I was supposed to be doing nothing! Real eye opener though and I'm hooked now and have plenty of plans for next season but in answer to the question above then no, I'd go for both. Does of course depend on how much breeze you get etc I suppose but my tunnel would be classified as being sensibly placed for all aspects like that I think, has roll up vents down the sides but in the summer I had to have a door open which resulted in caterpillar's, next season there'll be a secondary mesh door on the outside so ventilation in the summer and poly door down when I want to keep the temps up. Luckily I had the time to go round making bird food, caterpillar hunting will not feature next year!

Rest easier with pics so I will check in again later

Dean

 

[marcros]

cheers Dean. No great hurry at all.

do you bother/plan to bother growing anything over winter? I dont plan to heat it, so one option is a mesh side(s) without the roll down parts on.

 

[kdampney]

I bought an 8x6 domestic polytunnel a couple of years ago. Some suggestions:

1. Make it as sturdy as possible. I put some wooden posts at each corner which made it much more stable, and buried the sides 6 inches into the ground. Even in gale-force winds, it's not moved. I also used hot-spot tape to stop the plastic wearing away.
2. Having said that, consider taking it down over winter - strong winds will add wear and tear even fairly robust plastic, zips and velcro.
3. Domestic ones won't last forever. After 2 winters, mine has a reasonable number of holes, and the door zips have ripped (UV makes the plastic a bit more brittle). However it still keeps my tomatoes and peppers warm overnight!

If you want to use it for many years, consider a glass one, a commercial one, or taking it down in winter. Mine was a present, so I'm not sure where it was from, but it was less than £80 I think.

Hope that helps!

 

[Alex H]

I bought an 8x6 domestic polytunnel a couple of years ago. Some suggestions:

1. Make it as sturdy as possible. I put some wooden posts at each corner which made it much more stable, and buried the sides 6 inches into the ground. Even in gale-force winds, it's not moved. I also used hot-spot tape to stop the plastic wearing away.
2. Having said that, consider taking it down over winter - strong winds will add wear and tear even fairly robust plastic, zips and velcro.
3. Domestic ones won't last forever. After 2 winters, mine has a reasonable number of holes, and the door zips have ripped (UV makes the plastic a bit more brittle). However it still keeps my tomatoes and peppers warm overnight!

If you want to use it for many years, consider a glass one, a commercial one, or taking it down in winter. Mine was a present, so I'm not sure where it was from, but it was less than £80 I think.

Hope that helps!

This ^

Ours self destructed after moving it the second year and NOT digging the sides in It doesn't take a lot of wind to lift one up - it was cheap though and starting to rip at the openings and the ends

 

[marcros]

When I say a domestic one, I mean in size. They are smaller versions of the commercial ones but the same spec. I have seen the £100 ones but they were not what I had in mind. A worthwhile warning though.

This type of thing. http://www.firsttunnels.co.uk/polytunne ... bowidth=10

 

[DMF]

Hi,

with the link above I was looking at the same kind of thing and I do think they are good value, I just didn't have it! For the earlier post no I will not be heating although we'll see how full the window sills are mid may but it is surprising how much heat you can lock in by closing the vents a hour or so before the sun goes down, it helps at the beginning of the season and its helping the tomatoes now that's for sure! Will be going through the winter with salad crops and have some mooli etc going so don't see any down time coming up and besides will be sowing some perennials soon and it will be good to have them protected for a bit.

For how I've used the space I wanted to be as flexible as possible so the area was dug, sieved and improved with compost etc 2 1/2 foot deep. Then I used 3/4 of the floor space to put in a key hole raised bed which increased the depth to the main planting area further. Thinking was I can plant whatever in that and it will hold plenty of water for the hot days and pleased I did. I know a lot of people just plant in pots but if I haven't got anything in the ground then a pot can still go there.

Front of the tunnel (and anywhere else!) is for pots apart from another little raised bed for carrots I added after a bit more scrap timber appeared. Photos from the start of the season so you can see some of it but had a rack for trays in the entrance, now got big pots full of peppers etc. Put a rack down the front 3/4 on the right hand side and used this as a salad area this year, with the positioning of the tunnel I think it's worked out well and have been eating lots!

Anyway this is what a collection of old trampolines, pond liner off cuts, alu roof trim, a kids bed, a chest of drawers and some old fence posts looks like! Surgery cut short the project earlier on as well so I didn't get to the doors and proper cover stage and cheated, I had to spend 42 of my hard earned so that will be adapted for next season and replaced after that. Frame posts were rounded off and had a trench routed for the bars of the frame to sit in, these are there for the reasons mentioned but also for the proper cover stage when I get there as well as watering lines and somewhere to fix the raised beds and racks too. Ground bar and braces in with the main frame as well and Bertha didn't do anything apart from squash the squashes outside.

Hope that's of some use and let us know if I missed something, for general tips with the others posted then mine would be a calm day for fitting the cover lol

Dean

 

[marcros]

Thank you. I will have a proper study when I can see it on a proper sized screen.