LAND WITHOUT PLANNING CONSENT

Failure to win planning consent is one of the most common setbacks leading to promising pieces of land failing to become building plots, so it’s worth hedging your bets. Make no mistake, buying land without planning approval is risky, as there’s no certainty you’ll get permission for what you want to build. However, that doesn’t mean you should simply walk away. Rather, my overriding advice on this topic is that you should never buy a plot without consent when you could secure an option to purchase instead. This will allow you to get an approval in place before handing over your money.

Once you’ve secured your option, then you can begin to plan for risks, a process that starts with a thorough planning appraisal. Appraisals manage planning risk and are the early warning system to avoid plots that will never be approved. A planner carrying out an appraisal will consider a plot’s planning history as well as the constraints imposed by its physical geography and planning policy (both local and national).

The appraisal covers land designation which, in brief, determines the likelihood of consent. One important designation is whether or not the land is within the settlement boundary (a planning tool reflecting where a set of policies are to be applied). Ideally, the land you want to buy should be located within the boundary, but if it is not, a justifiable policy reason is required for why it could be developed, for example meeting local housing need.

The planner will also consider the suitability of the plans in context of the surrounding environment. While you might be keen on certain features, the planner will be focussed on the impact the design will have in terms of scale, mass and how it will fit into the street scene.