I would assume someone has come across this type of issue before and I would like their advice please.
We are moving house, the chain is STC, so currently we are in the process of completing all the paperwork and surveys etc.
One of the real plus points we liked about the house, is the fact the side and rear of the garden/house looks over a nice farmers field. Also,
I'm sure the price of the house took this into account.
I've really asked the solicitor to do their homework, I want to make ensure as much as we can (I understand we can never be 100% on this) that no
planning or potential plans are underway to build or extend the estate onto this land and we swap our nice view for a brick wall.
What questions should I be asking?
I've looked on the local council planning portal and nothing is planned / submitted.
Can we check the type of land eg. green built.
I just need to make sure I have asked the right questions, rather than the solicitor saying "well you never asked."
Thanks
Ash
You can check its greenbelt, however that’s never a guarantee. They built a traveller location for 1 home at the bottom of our road (2miles away)
which was on the green belt of Epping forest.
The thing is you never know what the future holds and the council can change there minds to reach demand.
Things you can look at.
• Local Authority Plans – They have development frameworks where they mark land for the next 5-10 years for development (some of this usually is
greenbelt)
• Land Registry – you can purchase a copy of the title of the land for about £4 off land registry for the land and find out who the owner is and
therefore gauge what may happen. If it’s a farmer you would be safe. Finding out Barratts own it however could raise red flags.
As I said they are things that may give you piece of mind but you never know!
All the best with the Move!
Regards
JM
Surveyor
Check the council website for local policies and adopted plans.
I.e my local council have these:
https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/planningpolicy
https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/adopted-policies-map
It will need some digging but will give you a long term idea if there are any plans to develop. As above there are no guarantees though.
Your local planning office may be helpful to you - mine was when I had to get permission to add a conservatory. The guy was able to tell me if anyone else in my street had made an application.
You can be sure if you buy the field
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
You can be sure if you buy the field
You should be able to view any current planning applications via the Planning Portal - https://www.planningportal.co.uk/ This isn't a time
machine though!
Wyn
You have no right to a view, and there's no way of knowing if someone is going to convert that field into housing in 2 years time (and the moment
they choose to, no-one else will pay a premium for it). My advice would be that if the house is backing onto anything that might be built on,
don't assume it won't and don't pay extra for it.
That said, the likelihood is going to be pretty small unless it's in commuter-belt with a dire local housing status. Look for big businesses
opening in the area too, like Tesco - they often come with a requirement of building houses.
[Edited on 28/6/16 by coyoteboy]
going off from the original question a bit -
my parents bought the field next them their house for this exact reason.
~10yrs ago, blind auction. they put in 40k and got it from a farmer.
the deeds say that if they change the purpose of the land, or even just increase it's potential value then the farmer gets 50% of the increase.
This came with a 25yr tie in.
so if they got planning permission on the land, but did not build, they would need to probably at today's money hand over half a mill plus to the
farmer. This puts off some development. (they are nr buckingham buckinghamshire)
this all depends on the deeds for the land in the small print. you might be able to see this in the land registry details to know what the situation
is, but as someone said, nothing would be stopping them trying to put up 100 homes on the site, or few big ones. they have a land owner over the road
who is getting his way even tho every one in the village doesn't want any houses in the field, but the council are edging towards yes. they
already said yes to a barn against everyone's no thanks.
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
You can be sure if you buy the field
quote:
Originally posted by gregs
quote:
Originally posted by mookaloid
You can be sure if you buy the field
+1 and not as daft as it sounds....
Good question, as said before nothing is OT here!
I'm particularly interested in the answers as were looking to move and my prerequisite is room for a 3-4 car garage either built or space, which
in itself these days is practically a building plot.
So not dissimilarly also interested in the options of converting field space into garage space, ore even how easy it is to buy a small piece of field
for a house build, or to place a barn on that then does not become an estate.
I suspect as mentioned there's no guarantees unless you buy them
Good luck too
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Check the council website for local policies and adopted plans.
I.e my local council have these:
https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/planningpolicy
https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/adopted-policies-map
It will need some digging but will give you a long term idea if there are any plans to develop. As above there are no guarantees though.
Sometimes you have to play smart
regardless of if you can afford it or not, ask the farmer if he would consider selling it to you. if he says yes then you have your answer not to buy
the house.
if he says no then you know your safe. if he says no live him your contact details and say to him that if he ever wants to sell it you will buy it.
even if you don't have the money or never intend to buy it he will think you want to buy it and give you a heads up that hes looking to sell
before anything bad happens, giving you the opportunity to move before the storm.
Something I learned recently is a thing called an 'option to purchase'.
This is an agreement between the landholder and a prospective purchaser, and doesn't have to be legally recorded anywhere but in a solicitors
files.
This only came about during a chat with the young farmer who farms the land adjacent to my property, when he told me that every bit of farm land
adjoining the developed areas around here, had an option on it from one of two developers. He told me that the family took the money, which is non
refundable, for an option for twenty years. He says the land will always be owned by his family, as that was the wording of the will that left it to
them.
But these things can be changed. So, ask if there are any purchase options on the bit you have a view over.
'Land Banking' is another that's cropped up. Wealthy investors buying chunks of farmland on the off chance it could be worth a lot in
future, or just appreciate better than bank interest. Then they cover it with solar panels, and get big tax write offs. Scum!
Cheers,
Nev.
quote:
Originally posted by Neville Jones
Something I learned recently is a thing called an 'option to purchase'.
This is an agreement between the landholder and a prospective purchaser, and doesn't have to be legally recorded anywhere but in a solicitors files.
The greedy scum who went around handing out money on options came unstuck here, because they thought that they could appeal to the govt, (easy peasy
they thought)who then referred it back to local. And you don't screw with locals, particularly when most of them are related and even moreso in
the farming community. Those ooh arrrhhh dozey sounding yokels aren't as silly as the London smartarses thought.
End result is farmers with houses in Florida and no plans whatsoever of selling their farm land that's been held in the families for hundreds of
years. In fact, they have grouped as a consortium, and grow some of the best prime beef eaten in London restaurants.
Same with Land Banking. The farm land around here has been going up quicker than inflation and bank interests. When the developer got told very
plainly that he would never get permission in the lives of the present council, he appealed, and guess what? Got referred back to local... His
proposal was outside of the County Plan, so he ended up having to sell back to the locals he bought it from, because all the greedy bastards who may
have wanted to buy it, became aware they'd never make an easy profit on it.
So, land registry searches are the easy bit, but ask the landowner about options, and watch the look on his face. That look may tell you what you want
to know, more than the words that come out.
Cheers,
Nev
[Edited on 30/6/16 by Neville Jones]
Well, what can I say. Disappointed is probably the best I can muster.
We have been looking for a house for 18 months now and we finally found the house we were willing to settle down in the for next 20+ years, the family
home before we down size etc.
Since my original post a few things have come to light. One of the fields behind the house is on the councils development plans (nothing granted yet)
for 350 dwellings to be build. This will be about 80 to 100m from our house.
The biggest kicker for me is, as of Friday last week, we found out the new HS2 route. It will run in the opposite field and be within 400 to 600
meters of our new house. Fortunately, we have not signed anything yet.
Advise and opinions welcomed.
#gutted
You must be gutted, I know I would be 
So a high speed railway line on the one side and the possibility of 350 houses on the other
Sadly I think you know the answer and will have to continue the search
Some friends of ours bought a lovely detached bungalow a couple of years ago with lovely views over open countryside, Even built a raised decking to
enjoy the view.
They now look over 100 houses, To say they are gutted is an understatement, They tried all the usual appeal avenues and attended all the public
meetings but the developers were well versed and had all the answers ready.
As said above there's no guarantees...
sorry to hear that for you.. but at least you found out now.
hunt on, there will be another that you will find that you will be happy with.
quote:
Originally posted by ash_hammond
The biggest kicker for me is, as of Friday last week, we found out the new HS2 route. It will run in the opposite field and be within 400 to 600 meters of our new house. Fortunately, we have not signed anything yet.
quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
quote:
Originally posted by ash_hammond
The biggest kicker for me is, as of Friday last week, we found out the new HS2 route. It will run in the opposite field and be within 400 to 600 meters of our new house. Fortunately, we have not signed anything yet.
I didn't think anything was confirmed north of B'ham yet?
The old saying that there's plenty more fish in the sea is very true.
We were looking for 3 years for our first house that was big enough in the school catchment we wanted that we could afford. We found 2 perfect houses
that we fell in love with. The first the sellers were basically arse holes who had pulled out of the sale 3 times after agreeing a price and they did
the same with us. The second we were outbid on a sealed bid by 250 quid!
After that we were devastated and lost interest in looking. However 3 weeks later we found a house that was over budget but the sellers had found
another property to buy. We viewed and sat down with a coffee with the 2 nicest people you'd wish to buy from. Straight and honest and we
basically told them our budget and they agreed to sell as long as we could move quickly. 6 weeks later we were in. And looking back it's the best
property of the 3.
Don't accept something now and regret it later. It will cost you In the long run.
No chance of it not happening...
Farm up the road from me belongs to a dude who for donkeys years has been trying to get planning for his fields. Local planning office have always
knocked him back and had a big fight with him when he converted chicken sheds into bungalow.. They always said it was green belt and a barrier
between the two towns...
Now he's getting on and low behold selling everything on... The very field he couldn't do anything with has been sold to a developer who
now has planning for 500 homes!
He's also selling his chicken shed for £425,000
Fields to the west have also seen a sign put up with planning for domestic development...
Whether it happens who knows but what was definitive green belt before is now sitting with planning for thousands of homes!