To clear or not to clear?

[Rachieble]

I have the opportunity to buy a plot of land with no planning permission for a very low price. I think it's got a good chance of getting planning looking at other schemes that have been approved in the area and am thinking of taking a speculative punt on it. But currently the site is scrub land on a residential street in a rural area and has a lot of very overgrown trees and shrubs growing on it.  None of the trees are protected and its not big enough to be a woodland or long enough to be a protected hedgerow or anything that seems significant (I've checked the local council's website and can't find anything relating to this land so doesn't seem to have any kind of protection and isn't green belt designated) - its just a bit of infill land between two houses, with another house behind. My instinct tells me that if I clear the land before even beginning on the planning process (or at least cleaning any trees that would prevent a house being built) then I will remove and potential objections to the scheme due to tree preservation. But I wonder if I'm missing something in my thought process. What does everyone think? 

Edited January 28 by Rachieble

[ProDave]

Yes, definitely fell the trees you want gone ASAP in one go as quick as you can.  You don't want someone slapping a TPO on them if they get a hint you want to build, so don't give any warning, just turn up one day with a chainsaw(s) and get felling.

[Pendicle]

I would contact planning department and get an informed idea if they think you can achieve planning. Ours were very helpful before we bought our plot/house and gave good indication of what they would and would not except which then informed us on how much to offer on the plot/house and our end design. Making a call to planners won’t restrict you from clearing site but could save you money and time in long run and speculative purchase could become a real opportunity.

[Russell griffiths]

Clear everything, but you must also clear all the debris, do not leave any piles of timber just in case it’s used by some rare newt or something. 

Literally strim it down to a flat lawn. 

 

If planning was unsuccessful could the adjacent houses be interested in putting a couple of garages on it, just a back up plan to cover your investment.  

[Moonshine]

Clear it, will make the land seem a lot bigger and means people can see that putting a house on the plot is achievable 

[ToughButterCup]

Clear it pronto.

If you have fidgety neighbours, clear it early Sunday morning. Standard practice here in  West Lancashire : nobody will be able to do anything about it until Monday morning, and nobody'll visit until Tuesday at the earliest.

 

It is common here to kill anything that moves on land prior to making  a Planning Application. I do not advocate that strategy, merely point out that it works.

[Jilly]

Eek, a dissenting voice here. If the trees screen the neighbours, both you and they will wish they remain. Give me the maturity of trees and shrubs in a garden any day over ‘building site chic’. 

[joe90]

25 minutes ago, Jilly said:

Give me the maturity of trees and shrubs in a garden any day

I agree but not to the extent of diminishing what can be built on the site.

[Alan Ambrose]

FYI your LPA may have a web system which shows the locations of TPOs, so check there first. Are these big prominent handsome well-established trees or just scrubland trees?