As planning consultants we often get enquires from landowners who wish to develop their land. Of course the majority wish to develop residential and retail led schemes as they are high value uses. Some of our more entrepreneurial clients simply wish to increase the value of their land and are open to an array of uses very much led by the advice of our consultants.
The below is a very broad brush review as every site is unique. Always feel free to contact us to discuss your site.
How we look at your land?
The first and most simple way to look at the development opportunities is to review the land designation in the Local Plan. If the land is located within a predominantly residential area, there is a good chance that it will be designated as such. This opens up the potential for residential development.
There is a common misconception with the development of garden land, yes this has been removed from the definition of brownfield land, but it certainly does not mean that the site is not developable so don’t let this put you off making an enquiry.
What will the Council support?
There is supposed to be a general presumption in favour of sustainable development, thus if your land is previously developed or brownfield then there is a good chance that the Council will support the principle of development for residential use.
Alternatively, green field land within settlement boundaries can also be regularly developed assuming it is not protected by a local designation.
My land is in the Green Belt/AONB
Since the publication of the NPPF we have had many enquires with regard to developing land within the Green Belt, in essence the NPPF changed very little and it is still extremely problematic to gain permission for any new development that cannot demonstrate special circumstances or be related to outdoor recreation.
Whilst a planning application may be inappropriate for green belt sites, the designation does not preclude trying to ‘promote’ the site into upcoming housing land allocations. This would generally only be appropriate if the land abuts an existing settlement.
If you wish to discuss the potential of your site, please feel free to contact us on the details below.