What to do with spare land?

platypuskn

Hi everyone,

Wasn't sure where to post this, but hoping for some suggestions!

We have a rather unusual garden set-up. We have a small courtyard area behind our house, and then two larger plots a short walk from the house (other gardens in-between). One of these areas we use as a vegetable patch, pond and some fruit trees etc.

The other area is approx. 12x12m and currently grass with a fence around it. We had thought it would be useful for our kids to run around in, but there's a park just around the corner and they always want to go there instead. So its basically a burden to look after for no benefit.

We enquired about selling it but was told no developer would want such a small area especially as its not got parking directly next to it (to access garden you have to walk about ten metres along an alleyway first).

Are there any other options e.g. would we possibly be allowed to build a small log cabin/house to rent out ourselves, or is this only allowable if there's parking next to it? Its in a residential zoned area. Any other way we can make some cash from the land? Bit desperate for ideas as job is under threat currently!

G_M

What is use class for the land?

This will restrict what it can be used for.

Obvious possibility is to rent to a local horse-owner.

glasgowdan

It'd have to be a shetland pony!

AnotherJoe

Have you applied for planning permission for it?
Unless its a specific requirement for permission, I dont see why it would have to have parking, local councils are quite stroppy about that on new developments in a vain attempt to reduce traffic so new estates often have wholly inadequate parking as a result with cars parked everywhere on pavements and verges ,so they'd probably jump at a house that had none.
Or is there a house next to it that might be able, by combining their land with this, to build another?

HouseBuyer77

What's adjacent to it? If there are any other gardens adjoining it you may be able to sell it to the owner of one of those gardens?

platypuskn

The land was apparently bought by the previous house owner from the local council - its basically half of what used to be a council houses garden. So on one side is the council houses garden, and they're obviously not going to buy it back. On the other side is a private garden and they are pretty broke so I doubt they'd be interested. An alleyway runs round the other two sides of the garden.

Too small for a horse sadly.

I've got no idea how its zoned. When/how it was added isn't mentioned at all on the house deeds (although the deed does show the area as being part of the deed) , and the only reason I know the history is because a neighbour told me that's where it came from.

The whole area around here is residential, and is also a conservation area so I guess that might mean we can't build on the land anyway? We're a grade c (Scotland) listed building too but no sign that the garden area has ever been built on.

We've not applied for planning permission as my gut feeling is that it wouldn't be allowable?

G_M

glasgowdan wrote: »

It'd have to be a shetland pony!

Ah! 12 x 12. Missed that!

moneyistooshorttomention

12m x 12 m - Just translated by me into 39' x 39' if I've got my maths right....

fixx

Are there any other neighbours in the area who'd be interested in renting sections of it as an allotment for growing veg etc? You might not get much, but it'd be a nice use for the land.

Davesnave

It's garden land, and as it cannot be 'married' directly to another property at present, or reached by road, it's probably not very valuable. In the right circumstances, a plot that size could be worth £10k, even just as garden.

The best use might be just renting it out cheaply as an allotment, if there's a demand. Then, if anything should change, you'll still be in control of it.

If the allotment proves hard to rent out, an area approximately 40' x 40 ' isn't expensive to completely cover with heavy duty weed membrane. That's not attractive, but no there's no maintenance for at least 5 years, and probably longer.

Owain_Moneysaver

platypuskn wrote: »

(to access garden you have to walk about ten metres along an alleyway first).

That will limit (or increase the cost of ) building opportunities as everything will have to be got along the alleyway by hand and you'll be very limited what machinery you can get on site.

And it will restrict the resale value too as furniture will have to go the same way.

Can you grown anything on the land which you can sell profitably (soft fruit or another high-value product)?