Author Topic: Hello and a question (Read 5165 times)

Rosemary · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2010, 03:45:25 pm »

Hi and welcome from sunny Alloa

Grasshopper30 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2010, 05:47:18 pm »

Hi Libby and Neil,
My husband and I have recently moved to our small holding in west Wales, after spending more than 5 years and thousands of pounds on trying to get planning permission on our land in the midlands. Even with experts backing up our case for builiding a dwelling on our land and other precedents across the country our planning officer was absolutely adamant that he would not issue permission. You may be more fortunate than us, but we have spoken to many many people with similar stories so as one of the other respondants suggested, I would suggest you get a view on your chances from your planning office well in advance of buying any land, and be prepared to have deep pockets!

Sally

doganjo · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2010, 07:35:26 pm »

In Scotland, if planning is refused you can appeal to the Secretary of State, with no additional costs except fresh copies of the proposed plans. Is there not a similar system in England? Obviously you would only do this if you or your architect were sure of your facts, but I do know of cases in Aberdeenshire which were successful. I kow of one application to increase the size of a visitor centre which was turned down by the local planning officer despite many changes to the plans to satisfy him. He kept saying that it was too similar to a cafe and shop about 10 miles up the road. Then they went to appeal and won - I was told that he had a vested and undeclared interest! So maybe worth enquiring?

libbil · « **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2010, 10:36:44 am »

Grasshopper - we did have a long chat with planning and eventually decided not to go for the plot that we were looking at. It may have been possible after a long hard struggle to get permission, but it would be tied to the land and they said we'd have to be making enough profit to pay a salary at the regional average, plus enough to be paying mortgage payments on a typical build for the area - seemed more complicated than it needed to be - and I suspect they say that to everyone to put them off, but we chickened out I'm afraid, and decided that we'd prefer to go for something with less struggle.

Currently looking for plots with planning or barns for conversion.

We have found an interesting one but would probably not be able to afford the whole thing ourselves (two cottages to be done up). Does anybody have experience of advertising for another person/couple/family to buy it jointly with and share the build costs?