Planning regulations and agriculteurs

[margarett]

Please could someone let me know just who is defined as an 'agriculteur' in French law, and as such able to benefit from exemptions to normal planning regulations. This is of vital importance to us as our neighbour, a part time property developer, a part time breeder of race horses (a business she has only just begun) wants to place an enormous building on our boundary (although she owns 45 acres of land in total) and it appears that if she is classified as an 'agriculteur' she may be able to do so. We have worked for five years to turn a neglected and sad house into a beautiful home in a very pretty rural corner. The proposed building, a vast industrial type building on land raised above ours, looming over us, makes us very sad.

All advice gratefully received. Margarett

[Motorhead]

Basically it's anyone who pays their cotisations to the MSA. Dunno how you'find out if they were or not.

[Will]

I think that as long as the horse business is properly registered this will give your neighbour 'agriculteur' status. Planning regulations do still apply to agricultural buildings, and in most places any new agricultural building, depending on its use, needs to be at least 100m from any neighbouring dwelling. I would advise talking to your maire about it if you have concerns, although the neighbour may of course be a close associate of the maire. If you get no joy there you can speak to your local DDE.