Why is planning permission so difficult to achieve?

Fuzzyness

Towser wrote: »

Recently a few plots of land have been put up for sale without planning permission. They have descriptions which say they are suitable for dwellings and even have artists drawings of how the houses could look on the plots.
Why is planning permission so difficult to achieve? The price of the land alters dramatically between the two with and without planning permission. The only thing I can think of is tree preservation orders and obviously objections from the locals.
How long does planning permission take to achieve I don't want to live in a caravan for years.

its a bit of an open ended up question. if you propose the right development in the right location securing planning permission is not difficult to achieve. Councils will regularly quote you that nearly 90% of planning applications submitted are approved (dont quote me on that but its a very high percentage that are approved).

if you are wanting a new house on an agricultural field in the middle of the countryside i'm afraid your chances of success are low. if you are looking to demolish and rebuild and existing house/building the chances are better. what do you want to achieve and where (not the specific location but generally in town, edge of town, village etc.).

Doozergirl

I haven't done any homework, but a quick google points toward a typical scam where people buy bits of countryside and divide it up to sell at what looks like cheap prices, and draw some pretty pictures of houses in order to make a profit.

They were doing it near me in a designated "area of outstanding natural beauty" in a really key piece of greenbelt separating Birmingham from Worcestershire villages. Never going to get planning permission.

Steer clear of these. In any area, land with genuine development potential for multiple plots would be worth a fortune to larger developers. And probably already owned by them.

Fuzzyness

Doozergirl wrote: »

I haven't done any homework, but a quick google points toward a typical scam where people buy bits of countryside and divide it up to sell at what looks like cheap prices, and draw some pretty pictures of houses in order to make a profit.

They were doing it near me in a designated "area of outstanding natural beauty" in a really key piece of greenbelt separating Birmingham from Worcestershire villages. Never going to get planning permission.

Steer clear of these. In any area, land with genuine development potential for multiple plots would be worth a fortune to larger developers. And probably already owned by them.

I've just had a look at the plots you are referring to. they are in AONB and a conservation area. also interesting area for archaeology and also within the curtilage of a registered park and garden. if you have no experience of the planning system those four things are saying stay well clear. they would be a mine field to try and navigate an application through. not saying its impossible but highly unlikely. there are easier plots out there.

eddddy

There's something very strange about those plots.

They all show as being sold at auction on 13th March on the Auctioneer's website (Lots 28 and 89 to 94) :

http://www.barnardmarcusauctions.co.uk/Auction-Results.html

But they now appear on Rightmove as "Unsold at Auction on 13th March":

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-58317019.html
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/commercial-property-for-sale/property-58315231.html

(And the Auctioneer has already removed all the other properties that sold at that auction from Rightmove.)

It would be really scary to think that somebody might have backed out, because they bid and bought without appreciating the planning situation. The litigation lawyers would be gleefully sharpening their pencils.

But also, it's a respectable auction firm. It's strange that they're getting involved in something that looks so dodgy from the outside.

Doozergirl

The risk belongs to the buyer. These sorts of plots are always up at auction. Most of the time I've seen them, they don't really sell, thank goodness.

Ultimately, anything can be sold. We'd buy the sort of house that was unmortgageable - a huge risk if you go in without doing any homework expecting someone to finance you. But necessary to us.

We also bought a house with a potential building plot that had no value attached - more a liability, but we calculated it and it paid off, eventually.

Wouldn't find me touching this sort of stuff though. Where people genuinely see potential, they will maximise it. That's what these sellers are doing. Buying cheap land that cannot be developed and selling it off at a substantial profit to people who aren't all that bright at a prive that looks amazing and worth a punt, even when it isn't.

teneighty

I occasionally bid on building plots at the auctions and this technique of providing artists impressions seems to be a clever new trick.

I have seen a few recently where the chances of actually getting planning are pretty much zero but they have artists impressions of usually very large luxurious houses which I assume is to try and catch out the inexperienced buyers.

They usually seem to sell for more than just a plot of land but far less than a building plot with planning permission. So I guess the seller pays out for an artist impression hoping it will push the bidding up by an extra £10k or so or maybe a lot more if someone really falls for it, a nice little earner if it works.

Towser

The Land Registry calls such plots "souvenir land" ..... which says it all, really....

Davesnave

Towser wrote: »

The Land Registry calls such plots "souvenir land" ..... which says it all, really....

'Souvenir land' especially refers to plots where there was never any prospect of building, because the plots were too small to contain a property, and/or the original intention was conservation, or sentimental dedication etc.

davidmcn

Davesnave wrote: »

'Souvenir land' especially refers to plots where there was never any prospect of building, because the plots were too small to contain a property, and/or the original intention was conservation, or sentimental dedication etc.

Yes, it's the "buy this square metre of land on our estate and call yourself a Highland Laird" sort of thing, where you couldn't possibly do anything useful with the land. Whereas these appear to be reasonably-sized plots, in theory you could use them for something even if getting planning permission might be an uphill struggle.