planning Planning in principle before I purchase the land

[Dave_madl]

Can anyone help with some advice,

 

I have a plot of land I have been offered to purchase to start a self build, it doesn't have any planning etc on it, so is it possible to apply for planning in principle in argyll (scotland) on the land myself to get that decision atleast before dealing with solicitors etc and purchasing it.  

 

I do have site plans

[ProDave]

Yes, you don't have to own the land to apply for planning.

 

You might want to make a formal offer though, to stop the seller just upping the price and selling to someone else once you have obtained planning.

 

In my case the previous planning had expired 30 years ago. So having agreed the price, I made a formal offer through my solicitor to buy the plot subject to obtaining planning in principle.  I then submitted the planning application and when granted the sale proceeded.  Had planning been refused the contract would not have been binding and I could have walked away.

 

If you don't own the land there is a standard form you have to fill in to notify the land owner that you have applied for planning.

[Dave_madl]

4 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Yes, you don't have to own the land to apply for planning.

 

You might want to make a formal offer though, to stop the seller just upping the price and selling to someone else once you have obtained planning.

 

In my case the previous planning had expired 30 years ago. So having agreed the price, I made a formal offer through my solicitor to buy the plot subject to obtaining planning in principle.  I then submitted the planning application and when granted the sale proceeded.  Had planning been refused the contract would not have been binding and I could have walked away.

 

If you don't own the land there is a standard form you have to fill in to notify the land owner that you have applied for planning.

Cheers Dave

 

We are fortunate that the land won't be sold to anyone else as its a friend we are getting it off for an agreed price. 

 

Is this certificate B you are talking about? Been typing to find the form on the argyll website but haven't come across it yet. 

[the_r_sole]

You can get planning on any bit of land you want without owning it, but you'd be best to have a formal option agreement to buy the plot for x amount on the grant of planning approval. 

The application has to be made online via eplanning so there's no "argyll and bute forms"

[Ferdinand]

11 hours ago, the_r_sole said:

You can get planning on any bit of land you want without owning it, but you'd be best to have a formal option agreement to buy the plot for x amount on the grant of planning approval. 

The application has to be made online via eplanning so there's no "argyll and bute forms"

 

Is that compulsory in Scotland?

 

Down here, I can still do it on paper, I think.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200126/applications/61/paper_forms

 

At one time in England, there were a couple of sneaky extra fees with an online application.

[ProDave]

I believe all correspondence must now go through the eplanning and ebuilding control websites.  I had to use that to apply for my temporary habitation and completion certificates.  It is an awful website imho not at all intuitive and hard to navigate.

[the_r_sole]

11 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Is that compulsory in Scotland?

 

Down here, I can still do it on paper, I think.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200126/applications/61/paper_forms

 

At one time in England, there were a couple of sneaky extra fees with an online application.

 

I'm not sure if it's all over Scotland yet, there were some local authorities which were still accepting paper (at a higher cost) but I do a lot in Argyll and Bute and they want everything on the portal