Settlement Boundaries

[PolicySucks]

Hi All, 

 

long time lurker, first post. 

 

Looking to build our first home, we’ve lived in our village for a number of years in a one bed flat and it’s time to move to a bigger property. We love the village and want to stay here but, house prices are INSANE!

 

We have found a plot, which although sits just outside of the settlement boundary, is literally touching it. The site is within 400m walking distance of all facilities and bus stops. 

 

Has anyone had a similar plot location that’s got through planning? I see the Braintree DC case, has anyone used this to their advantage? 

 

I dont want to waste a load of cash on planning, I guess pre-app advice would be worthwhile?

 

thanks in advance

 

Ollie

[Temp]

Could depend on the layout of the settlement boundary. Would it set a precedent for adjoining land (eg stick out into virgin countryside) or is it more of an infill situation (fill in a "notch" in the settlement boundary?).

[Temp]

If you have been lurking you will probably have seen warnings and risks about plots without planning permission. They can be worth considering but don't pay plot price or even half plot price for a what is currently just a field. Likewise don't end up paying to get planning permission only for the owner to jack up the price or sell to a third party. Consider some sort of option to purchase contract while you get planning permission etc

 

If it's already on the market then It makes no sense for someone to sell land without trying to get planning permission themselves first so got to ask why haven't they tried already?

 

Sorry if you know all this stuff. If not try "How to find and buy a building plot" by Roy Speer. 

[PolicySucks]

Thanks for your fast reply. 

 

The plot is owned by some friends of ours, whom my wife teaches to ride horses at the weekends. They own a large house with stables and a field for the horses. They have a spare plot of land on the opposite side of their access road which they have offered us. I have not seen any plots with permission for sale in the village ever....... and in other local villages the land prices are so high it is no cheaper than buying a house...... 

 

We have talked about an option agreement which they are more than happy with.

 

I have attached an image of the site and the settlement boundary and the site. 

Red-Line Plan.pdf

[ProDave]

I would think it has to be at least worth a try for planning. It is only just outside the (revised) settlement boundary, and there are lots of existing houses outside the boundary.

 

As it is owned by friends, hopefully there will be trust between you and they won't just run off and sell to the highest bidder if you are successful.

 

This is where the Scottish legal system is so much better. When we bought out plot I made a formal offer to buy it for an agreed price, subject to getting planning permission.  Planning was granted and under the Scottish system that quickly then became a legally binding contract, but had planning been refused I could have walked away and been under no obligations.

[PolicySucks]

5 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I would think it has to be at least worth a try for planning. It is only just outside the (revised) settlement boundary, and there are lots of existing houses outside the boundary.

 

As it is owned by friends, hopefully there will be trust between you and they won't just run off and sell to the highest bidder if you are successful.

 

This is where the Scottish legal system is so much better. When we bought out plot I made a formal offer to buy it for an agreed price, subject to getting planning permission.  Planning was granted and under the Scottish system that quickly then became a legally binding contract, but had planning been refused I could have walked away and been under no obligations.

Thanks for your reply, these are my thoughts also. I'm just reluctant to throw money at a full application at this stage - wondering whether pre-app advice is worth doing or not? 

[jack]

Welcome to Buildhub!

 

A couple of quick points.

 

I'm also within Waverley council. I haven't been keeping close tabs, but you may be aware that their revised neighbourhood plan was rejected by (I think) the planning inspectorate a couple of times over the last few years. As a result, there was (and may still be) a situation where only national policies applied, which apparently made it harder for Waverley to knock back planning applications.

 

Also, there's a lot of pressure to increase the number of houses being built in Waverley. You may be aware that Dunsfold (the old airfield) was one option for building a large proportion of those houses. I don't know what impact this might have on an application for a new plot in this general area, but again, something worth chatting with a planning consultant about.

 

Finally, I think I read recently that Waverley's planning department was coming under some pressure due to the number of appeals they were fighting and losing. Again, worth trying to find out more, because if it's true, there's likely to be some immediate pressure to be more forthcoming in granting permission.

 

Whatever the situation, it's definitely worth a chat to a local planning consultant. There's a firm just across the road from the planning office at Godalming who a couple of people we know have used with success. You get a free up front chat, which can be very useful. 

[newhome]

Can’t help on the planning advice but do put something in writing to your friends outlining what you believe you have agreed to. The best of friendships have come under strain where informal arrangements have gone wrong so whilst it is friendship that has provided you with this opportunity you must view this as a business transaction going forward. 

[PolicySucks]

Thanks both for your replies, most helpful. 

 

I share an office with a team of planning consultants, who have said they will have a look for me and provide some advice..... it's hard not to get your hopes up but i'll try!

[newhome]

I wish you luck! Everyone deserves a bit of a break sometimes. Hope to hear that you are successful and back here asking the self build questions. 

[Temp]

Definitely worth a shot especially with your contacts. 

 

My guess is the planners will take your pre-app fee and ask you to provide some drawings of the proposal. At least a site plan and possibly more. That way they have something to consider. So there will be other costs in addition to the planning fee. Unless you buy a plot with PP already these costs are pretty much unavoidable.

 

We had decided to use an architect to design our house so I visited a few just to see what they were like, tell them about the plot and ask for a fee proposal. One of them actually went to my site and with the quote he sent 3 or 4 ink and water colour sketches of his ideas for the plot!! He got the job.

 

Don't be disappointed if the planners say no for a bunch of reasons. I've noticed that when it's a marginal decision they sometimes tend to look for other factors that support their view to try and make it more clear cut. There are many people who have worked to address the issues, pressed on anyway and submitted a full application, had it rejected, and gone on to win at appeal. At each stage you will have to decide if it's worth the financial risk. You may even, as we did, end up paying out for a planning consultant to review your proposal and tell you if it's worth going to the next stage. As you go through the process make sure you keep an eye on any time limits.

 

I had a look at google sat view and it looks like a very nice location. I would plan to retain any trees that exist and possibly offer to plant more on the boundaries to screen your house? Do your friends also own the land slightly to the south of the plot? How about access to services? Sewer in the road and electric etc? Problems with those can add a small fortune to the build cost.

 

 

 

 

[Temp]

Just a heads up.. Is there a public foot path across the plot? Looks like there might be one running diagonally from NW to SE according to..

 

https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/local/dunsfold-waverley

 

This might not be an issue as footpaths can be diverted but it's another possible hurdle. May require you to provide a new route around the edge. The footpath officer should be able to provide a definitive map for you as the OS maps are sometimes wrong.

 

There was one across our plot but the previous owner had done the paperwork to move it. We still had to level the new route and put down grass. We put down seed but then the footpath officer wouldn't agree to open the new route until it had become established. This meant we couldn't close the old one and start work on the foundations until the grass grew. So overnight we turfed it and had him back for another inspection!  Some 10 years later and we have never seen anybody walk the footpath because there is another parallel to it through the church next door.

 

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by Temp
To add picture

[PolicySucks]

Hi Temp, 

 

Thanks again for your advice, The footpath has already been diverted to follow the western boundary of the site and there is currently no provision for that route across the field and it's been like that for at least 10 years. The PROW map shows the diverted footpath. 

 

The local houses all have septic tanks, we have no gas in the village. Water supply and electric supply will need to be considered for sure, but all of the surrounding properties have supply so assume it will not be that difficult, hopefully. 

 

The current land owners do also own the land to the south, up to the pond. 

 

We have been considering Scandia-Hus for the TF, they have been really helpful and have sent me scaled elevation drawings and dimensioned floor plans for a couple of their off the shelf designs, these will be useful to submit for pre-app if nothing else and I have drawn a plan showing how we would locate the house on the plot and some indicative landscaping also. 

 

It's really difficult know which order to do things in, it seems very easy to invest a substantial amount of time for something that may never happen. 

 

Thanks again for the advice, please keep it coming!

 

 

 

 

[newhome]

@Temp‘s advice about services is good advice. Many people have been stung for 10s of thousands in those areas unexpectedly. For the electric you should be able to get an indicative quote but the question to ask is whether there is capacity to add the property to the existing provision otherwise it’s a step change in terms of costs.