Planning Permission - any cautionary tales of woe and despondency?

[Heluvaname]

Of course if you do go for planning and it is refused for some reason, then that doesn't stop you erecting something that comes under Permitted Development, provided PD rights haven't been rescinded on your property at some point in the past (as can happen as a condition of previous planning permissions for example).

 

[steve158]

Just a quick word on the power to the building, you will need to notify the local department as it comes under the Part P regulations. If you get a registered electrician to do the connection he will be able to notify and certify it for you.

 

[artie]

It's quite a while ago, mid nineties I think.
I had the opportunity to purchase a 5 acre field on the side of a main road less than two miles from the town centre for £25000.
I was chomping at the bit to build myself a nice house with enough space around it that I wouldn't be rubbing shoulders with my neighbours.
I called in at the planning office for a chat and a nice man came down to talk to me.
I laid out my plans and he asked me to hold on while he went back upstairs to check some stuff.
He reappeared shortly with a map, and said to me. " I can't tell you that your application won't be successful, you will have to make an official application and pay £x before I tell you that, but here is a map of that area, here is the development zone out to the bypass. Land on the other (my) side of the bypass is zoned greenbelt.
There are exceptions but unless you are planning this that or the other (which I wasn't) you won't get approval, but again let me emphasise I can't tell you that unless you make an official application and pay £x.
I thanked him and left.
As often in life strange things happen and a few years later the old farm house adjacent to the field came up for sale and I bought it. That is a whole story on it's own.
The farmer again approached me about buying the field. I declined, feeling reasonably happy that I would have no neighbours in the foreseeable.

 

[shed9]

The farmer again approached me about buying the field. I declined, feeling reasonably happy that I would have no neighbours in the foreseeable.

Land is being sold quite quickly these days within the UK. I'm quite rural and there has been quite a few fields and large acreage plots for sale that spurred no interest in the last ten to twenty years. All of them have sold in the last six months at the asking price with no haggling of price. I know of at least 40 odd acres that sold last year within local distance to me. Five acre fields are prime for buying these days as that's about the sweet spot for a smallholding -COVID has created a lot of Good Life wannabes of late with little regards to planning.

You may want to keep your ear to the ground and look out for 'for sale' signs. Estate agents can sell land easily at the moment and if they get wind of it they will likely chuck it on their books. Appreciate there is small commission in five acres but this often leads to bigger sales for them.

 

[artie]

You may want to keep your ear to the ground and look out for 'for sale' signs.

I bought this old place over two years ago, it sits on <> three quarters of an acre, if I utilise all of it I'll be busy enough thanks.

Was next door to the 5 acre plot for 21 years, was still green field when I left.

 

[Bristol_Rob]

Don't forget to consider The Party Wall Act

Companies in London (and other places) monitor planning applications and then write to your neighbours to generate a fee paying job (scumbags). Although they are correct in what they advise.

It's nothing to fear as the Party Wall Act is an enabling act and is there to help you develop.
Just don't ignore it.
You as the developer have to pay for your surveyor and theirs!

And yes it also includes boundary walls/fences/hedges etc...

 

[shed9]

I bought this old place over two years ago, it sits on <> three quarters of an acre, if I utilise all of it I'll be busy enough thanks.

Was next door to the 5 acre plot for 21 years, was still green field when I left.

Fair enough, I just assumed (possibly wrongly) that your reason for potentially buying the offered land would be to ensure you were relatively free of neighbours.

Enjoy the house and the land....