Land for sale

doddsy

I don't know if this is the right place to post, please move if necessary.

There is a patch of pasture land for sale v. near our house- just under one acre. It has no planning permission and is not likely to get in the next 10 years.

There is a 50% Uplift clause against any future development and the owner is reserving the access across it to the rest of his land.

I am sorely tempted to put in an offer, it is going to informal tender 2nd week in September with no guide price at all.

I know the answer is 'it's worth what you are willing to pay for it' but I just don't know what figure to put on it and was wondering what you guys thought.

doddsy

silvercar

How near your garden is it? Could it form part of your garden in years to come?

I would be concerned with the farmer's access. COuld you have raging bulls racing through? Is there a possibility that the farmer could ever sell off his land to a developer and your land would be turned into an access road? Check that htere are no maintenance obligations on this piece of land. Is it liable to flood neighbouring areas, does it need a heavy investment in fencing?

If you do buy, check who is responsible for maintaining boundaries.

adr0ck

average cost currently stands at £3066 per acre

Debt_Free_Chick

Agree that about £3k per acre is the going rate.

How is the land currently classified? If agricultural and you're in a rural area, then there is almost no chance of development. Have you looked at the local planning authority's plan? This defines areas for development - as well as certain areas which are specifically designated as not for development.

Access - what type of access does the farmer envisage and how often? Is there alternative access? Our local farmer has access down our drive, but all we see is a tractor once or twice a year ... and that's it!

What would you use it for? If it's agricultural land, there is very limited potential. You certainly couldn't just absorb it into your garden, even if it adjoins it.

RHemmings

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Agree that about £3k per acre is the going rate.

People always talk about buying farmland, pasture, and similar with the idea of building on it. Planning permission being the catch. Is it possible to go the other way, to buy some farmland or pasture and then plant trees on it and let it turn into a woodland? A four acre field would make a nice little piece of woodland. Would planning permission be required for this?

Debt_Free_Chick

RHemmings wrote:

People always talk about buying farmland, pasture, and similar with the idea of building on it. Planning permission being the catch. Is it possible to go the other way, to buy some farmland or pasture and then plant trees on it and let it turn into a woodland? A four acre field would make a nice little piece of woodland. Would planning permission be required for this?

It depends

The Government has a general policy of retaining land which is currently classed as agricultural as just that i.e. keeping it for agricultural purposes. However, planning policies recognise that farmers need to diversify and move into new economic ventures, so certain changes to agricultural land are allowed, without PP or an application for "change of use".

Defra is the place to start. The link is specifically related to the development of agricultural land.

Commercial woodland would probably be allowed (not sure). Remember that all woodland needs to be managed - you can't just "leave it to nature" so you would need a programme of maintenance i..e. felling, lopping, coppicing etc.

doddsy

Thanks for your replies. It is going as 'Pasture land'. However, as it is on the very edge of the village it may well be developed at some point. I have heard on the village grapevine that he is looking to achieve 100k for it so that's me out then!

Debt_Free_Chick

doddsy wrote:

Thanks for your replies. It is going as 'Pasture land'. However, as it is on the very edge of the village it may well be developed at some point.

Depends on the limit of the planning curtilege - have you looked at the local plan?

wobbley

doddsy wrote:

I have heard on the village grapevine that he is looking to achieve 100k for it so that's me out then!

It sounds like he wants to charge as if it has PP and 'then' put a covenant in to protect in case of uplift. I think he wants his cake and to eat it as well !

Be careful of the grapevine though. I recently bought a plot for a song because certain rumours were circulating about failed PP and main sewers running under the land. Upon researching it thoroughly all the rumours turned out to be rubbish.

doddsy

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Depends on the limit of the planning curtilege - have you looked at the local plan?

I saw the Chief Planning Officer who said that dev wouldn't happen for 10 years.