Land for Sale for
Development
Advice to Purchasers
The Borough Council is aware of a number of web sites where
private companies are offering land in the Borough for sale; and
indicating that there may be some prospect of
development. The sites often state that the land
has "potential for development".
The Council has noted that all the sites are located outside
the settlement boundaries shown on the approved Local Plan and are
therefore in locations where there is little immediate prospect of
housing development being allowed.
Potential purchasers should be very careful about any
investment in such sites. Whilst there may be the
possibility that development may be permitted some time in the
future, this will only happen when the current planning policy is
statutorily reviewed.
Frequently the sites also show a layout plan seeming to
indicate the position of house plots and roads. Such plans have no
value other than as illustrations of what might be approved if
planning permission was applied for. If planning permission was
granted at any future time the approved plot boundaries could well
be different. A person who bought such a plot could therefore not
be sure that a house could be built upon it without acquiring other
land including the access.
Therefore anyone buying these plots of land should be clear
that their investment should be regarded as speculative and
involves high risk.
The Borough Council would also strongly advise that a
Local Land
Charge Search (not a personal search) is undertaken before
committing to a contract and that legal advice on the
interpretation of the results is obtained.
Please note the following article on the Planning
Portal about companies elsewhere in the country ...
INTERNET LAND BANKING COMPANIES WOUND
UP
Three companies involved in selling plots of agricultural land
to the public on the spurious claim they had residential potential
have been wound up in the High Court following an investigation by
the Companies Investigation Branch of the Insolvency
Service...