UK Legality of building a hide on Council land (1 Viewer)

[john118]

Hello,
I'm wondering on what the law is regarding building a small hide on council land. There's a small dip/valley with a stream 5 minutes away from where I live, in the past it was a maintained footpath but due to cutbacks the local council decided to abandon it and now its pretty much inaccessible and overgrown.
The good thing about this is the wildlife/birdlife is flourishing. I regularly walk my dogs in the area and I've seen over a dozen different species regularly.

My idea is to set up a small feeding station deep into it and if viable build a small hide for myself. I doubt anybody would ever find it considering how overgrown the area is but I'd like to know if I would be breaking any laws regardless.

Does anybody have any idea if a local council would take issue with this or am I free to do as I please?

 

[PYRTLE]

You're interesting plan would be unlawful on many fronts. Which is a shame - just enjoy the space, wildness and nature when you visit your secret site.

 

[mjh73]

You'd be better off approaching a local conservation group like BTCV and seeing if they can work with you and the council to put a nature watching hide in.... although it will likely involve a path and some interpretive boards so it's accessible to more people than just you!

 

[dantheman]

Just because they aren't maintaining it now doesn't mean they or a footpath group won't open it again in the future - presumably it's status as a legal right of way won't change (is it shown on OS maps?).

See no reason why you shouldn't quietly put up a feeding station. Building a hide a bit different, but kids build camps all over. If you can use old/recycled/green materials and you don't care if it gets tidied away then that is a lot more appropriate imo - a simple blind, roof sheet and a seat presumably rather than a massive structure. Got to be a bit safe too in high winds not to collapse on someone.

Bear in mind once kids exploring find it it will become their hangout too.

 

[DMW]

Just because they aren't maintaining it now doesn't mean they or a footpath group won't open it again in the future - presumably it's status as a legal right of way won't change (is it shown on OS maps?).

See no reason why you shouldn't quietly put up a feeding station. Building a hide a bit different, but kids build camps all over. If you can use old/recycled/green materials and you don't care if it gets tidied away then that is a lot more appropriate imo - a simple blind, roof sheet and a seat presumably rather than a massive structure. Got to be a bit safe too in high winds not to collapse on someone.

Bear in mind once kids exploring find it it will become their hangout too.

I did pretty much what you describe - made a very small hide from old palette boards. just enough room for 1 person sitting, with a simple wooden bench. This was in a reedbed overlooking a small open area of mud. It lasted well for a few years until the National Trust decided to manage the reed bed and burnt it down!

 

[Andy Adcock]

If it was just a screen, I doubt anyone would need to know but more than that, as well as planning permission, there would be public liablity issues for anyone using it which the council wouldn't accept.

 

[PYRTLE]

I did pretty much what you describe - made a very small hide from old palette boards. just enough room for 1 person sitting, with a simple wooden bench. This was in a reedbed overlooking a small open area of mud. It lasted well for a few years until the National Trust decided to manage the reed bed and burnt it down!

I think you meant pallet boards, rather than a palette which would probably only allow a Guinea pig to use it.:t:

 

[Andrew Clarke]

Go for it - but use pallets/a screen rather than building something like that RSPB thing at Titchwell.

Maybe worth thinking about getting the footpath officially reopened if it’s a quiet area before some landowner decides to whack barbed wire across and claim it’s not been used for ages.

 

[DMW]

I think you meant pallet boards, rather than a palette which would probably only allow a Guinea pig to use it.:t:

:t:

 

[Farnboro John]

Buy a bag hide, take a chair and set up the hide by the feeding station whenever you are there, take it away in its shoulder bag when you are not. Nobody needs planning permission for that.

John

 

[Nutcracker]

I doubt anybody would ever find it considering how overgrown the area is

You can be pretty certain that the local kids will find it quite quickly, and start using it for various less desirable purposes (urinal, smoking den, sex / drugs parlour, bonfire, you name it . . . ) unless you have some way of keeping it securely locked :eek!:

 

[dantheman]

I think you meant pallet boards, rather than a palette which would probably only allow a Guinea pig to use it.:t:

Or you may get a group of particularly artistic Wood Mice if you're really lucky ..

 

[john118]

Just because they aren't maintaining it now doesn't mean they or a footpath group won't open it again in the future - presumably it's status as a legal right of way won't change (is it shown on OS maps?).

See no reason why you shouldn't quietly put up a feeding station. Building a hide a bit different, but kids build camps all over. If you can use old/recycled/green materials and you don't care if it gets tidied away then that is a lot more appropriate imo - a simple blind, roof sheet and a seat presumably rather than a massive structure. Got to be a bit safe too in high winds not to collapse on someone.

Bear in mind once kids exploring find it it will become their hangout too.

I had intended on constructing a small hide using wooden pallet's that are easily available, the footpath that was there hasn't been accessible in well over 15 years so I doubt anybody's going to restore it now.

I realized today however that setting up a hide would be useless because it turns out after a day of heavy rain the stream floods quite a lot. So I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to set up the bird feeders and perch myself on the opposite slope under a tarp and see how that goes. Maybe I can make a little platform or something to sit on in the future.