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Crown Land Securities

Hi - my first post on here. I was browsing the Daily Telegraph website and saw a banner ad for Crown Land Securities https://www.crownlandsecurities.co.uk and a competition to win some land. So I entered. Have now had a salesman ("Senior Portfolio Advisor") call me and explain the deal (£8000 for a small plot of land without planning permission). This is termed Land Banking and investors gamble on planning permission being granted. I wanted to ask if anyone has used this company or heard anything about them. I feel this may be a scam, but the fact that this was via Telegraph site makes me wonder. Many thanks for any responses.
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Comments

  • dmg24
    dmg24 Posts: 33,925 Forumite
    I don't have personal experience of them but I have heard about it, and it is a scam. Avoid at all costs! x
    Gone ... or have I?
  • Raggie
    Raggie Posts: 613
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    Scam is a bit hard..:rotfl:

    They buy agrigutual land at £X per acre.. divide it into little bits and sell at £(X*100) per cm..

    the theroy goes.. one person applying to build houses on land wil lbe declined..

    if you have 100 applications for the same land then you have a better chance of it being granted.. :rotfl:

    whats even better they make bucketloads on peoples hopes to make a good profit.... so win win :rolleyes:

    sorry if I sound sceptical.. :D
    The only place where success comes before work is the dictionary…
  • Thanks Raggie & dmg24 - sounded too good to be true and as usual it seems it is!
  • Rayos wrote:
    This is termed Land Banking and investors gamble on planning permission being granted.

    And if you don't get planning permission? I think the word "gamble" says it all.
    I wanted to ask if anyone has used this company or heard anything about them. I feel this may be a scam, but the fact that this was via Telegraph site makes me wonder. Many thanks for any responses.

    I think you'll find that just about anyone can advertise on the Telegraph site - no-one vets them. You'll probably find that in small print, the Telegraph accepts no responsibility for the legitimacy of advertisers and that they suggest you take your own advise.

    Some land is actually earmarked as potentially for development. Some land is earmarked as "no development". You don't need to pay anyone to find this out - but you do need to go through each local planning authority's Local Plan to find out which land falls in to which category.

    I suppose you could call it a scam - although I think it's probably legal. They are probably giving what they promise - which is an introduction to land that might get planning permission.
    Warning ..... I'm a peri-menopausal axe-wielding maniac ;)
  • noyk
    noyk Posts: 253 Forumite
    it is a scam, agricultural land is about 2-4k per acre. If you need/want to buy some buy a country magazine, dont buy it from someone selling at 100% markup because they attach a "may be granted planning permission in the future" tag to it!
  • RHemmings
    RHemmings Posts: 3,424
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    Some land is actually earmarked as potentially for development. Some land is earmarked as "no development". You don't need to pay anyone to find this out - but you do need to go through each local planning authority's Local Plan to find out which land falls in to which category.

    How do you get to see the local planning authority's Local Plan? Are these plans available online, or does it depend on the authority?
  • *Bump*

    I'd like to know the same thing as RHemmings.

    Any ideas please?
    :grouphug: Things can only get better.
  • Local Plan / Development plans - you can either type in your council followed by local plan or unitary development plan in google and see if there is a page? or a really good site is https://www.planningportal.gov.uk there is a wealth of knowledge on here. Go to http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1102425564270.html

    click view development plans (left hand side) and type you council in. if there is a plan available it will say. Look on the left hand side for proposals map. :j

    If the council you have is not on the planning portal, let me know the council and i will see if there is link to it. Most councils are slowly but surely heading towards the web to show items such as development plans. If it is not on your web, you can pop down to the council to view the hard copy. Some librarys also have it on display.
  • I don't really know where you have got your info from. Land Banking has been around for years. Crown is very reputable and we have dealt with them on many occassions and had good returns.
    It is all about doing proper research into the area you intend to purchase a plot.
    There are clear risks but these guys are experts and know what they are doing.
    Yes they make a lot of money but so could you.
    The world is still round- these techniques were used all the time by private land owners and bokers say 15 years ago but now for many reasons there are opportunities for the private investor too.
    You cannot call this a scam. It is not a get rich fix but should be part of a structured investment plan.
    If I could give any advice it would be to take your investments seriously, do your homework; don't just listen to some guy on this site and who has no idea of what he is talking about.
  • Generali
    Generali Posts: 36,411
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    HenryJames wrote: »
    I don't really know where you have got your info from. Land Banking has been around for years. Crown is very reputable and we have dealt with them on many occassions and had good returns.
    It is all about doing proper research into the area you intend to purchase a plot.
    There are clear risks but these guys are experts and know what they are doing.
    Yes they make a lot of money but so could you.
    The world is still round- these techniques were used all the time by private land owners and bokers say 15 years ago but now for many reasons there are opportunities for the private investor too.
    You cannot call this a scam. It is not a get rich fix but should be part of a structured investment plan.
    If I could give any advice it would be to take your investments seriously, do your homework; don't just listen to some guy on this site and who has no idea of what he is talking about.

    Why would a speculative bet on getting planning permission be a good investment? It's not like the purchaser is getting any income from the land and it's an expensive way of buying agricultural land.

    I'd be interested to know your thinking.

    Are you connected with this company or a similar one by any chance? I notice you haven't posted before.
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