To sell our land for millions...

[Rosebyanothername19]

Long story short, we baught a house and some land along with it as we had got wind that they might be planning to build houses on it and other surrounding land and we didn't want other houses directly around ours.

We were then told by the local council that there was no chance as it had been rebuffed a number of times and wasn't going to happen. So felt a bit like we had wasted our money.

A few months later we find out that our land is the only land in the area that has been put forward for planning permission, so is potentially worth millions if sold for housing. But also a relief that we baught it so it can't get built on without our consent.

We could sell the land and the house and buy something else. In a way, we have possibly won the lottery. But we love the house and the whole reason for buying the land was so there wasn't houses on it!

So wwyd?

AIBU?

YES: Don't sell the land
NO: Sell the land and the house and buy something else.

[Whatthebloodyell]

Sell. If your Area requires more houses to be built and your land is the best potential Location , then it is the best thing for the community as a whole that the houses get built there. People need places to live. With your millions of pounds of profit I’m sure that you can find somewhere else to live.

[TheSpottedZebra]

But who did you buy it from, and how did they not know of the true value?
Have you that clause where you have to pay a % of any value uplift?

[EmmaC78]

I would sell too.

[MrsMiaWallis]

@Dawnlassie

So somebody has applied for planning permission for houses on land they dont own?

Are you sure you have this right op?

Someone did this to us!

[MustardMitt]

What will you do with it otherwise?

I would sell it and move somewhere else.

[SuitedandBooted]

Unless your current house is also worth millions, it's a no-brainer, surely? Sell and buy something amazing.

[callistography]

I'd sell and move to somewhere bigger/better etc. Life's too short!

[Cocomarine]

Your house had an open application for planning permission when you bought it.

Other surrounding land also had an application.

You bought yours with the land, just in case the surrounding land was given planning permission.

You spoke to the council who said don’t worry, these applications have been made before and rebuffed.

You felt a bit annoyed you’d paid extra for the land when you didn’t need to as any other own would have been rebuffed (because you’d naïvely decided that once rejected always rejected?).

You were looking at the list of planning applications and realised that the person who made the application on your land’s application has actually progressed.

Is that all correct so far?

What do you mean by seeing it on the list? That planning permission has been granted? Or just that it has moved to another level in the application process?

[unfortunateevents]

I don't understand how you bought without knowing there was a planning application outstanding? Surely the searches would have shown that?

[Bubbles1st]

If you're literally sitting on land worth millions I am certain you can buy an alternative dream home and pay for the best removals to make it as stress free as possible....

I would totally buy a new house and live mortgage free.

[Dawnlassie]

You don't have to own land to apply for planning on it

Yes we know that, but why didnt the developer who has applied for the planning permission buy they land when it was for sale? OP says it was "in the system" before they bought it.

Story sounds incomplete or incorrect.

[Rosebyanothername19]

@Cocomarine that is exactly right!

The local council then put it forward for objections from the residents. This was the first we heard of it. We are obviously relieved that we went with our gut to but, but obviously now in a conundrum!

[Rosebyanothername19]

@Dawnlassie I think it was a council thing rather than a developer. We baught the land from a liquidation company as the former owner went bust.

[SuitedandBooted]

And yes, as a PP mentioned, you can (or could) apply for Planning on land you don't own. I remember a group of ex-miners and others applied to have a bore-hole and an open-cast mine on Michael Heseltine's estate - to highlight how damaging open-cast mining is to the environment!

[Dawnlassie]

So is the local council the applicant on the application form?

[TriflePudding]

I would keep the land and enjoy it, but I am an antisocial bugger !

To be fair if you can get a lot of money for it and you are happy to move then why not ?

[Turnedouttoes]

Surely it’s a case of waiting to see what they offer you and whether it’s attractive enough to move. Would it actually be millions?

[lemonsandlimes123]

Umm I think you might have got the wrong end of the stick. If you are being consulted as residents/neighbours that just means there is an application it certainly doesn’t mean it has been granted.

[Tarararara]

Is there an overage on the land? Liquidators are usually very ruthless and savvy when it comes to things like that.

[SabrinaMorningstar]

I'd find out more about what was going on because you don't seem to know anything. Having planning is very different from being zoned for housing. And it would have to be a massive site in a very desirable area for it to be worth millions.

[Rosebyanothername19]

Just to clarify a bit (I hope) the farm house and land went up for sale from a liquidator. We baught the house and two fields directly next to the house so houses couldn't be built on our doorstep.

All the land was under review for potential housing locations by the council, but only our two fields have been approved.

I'm not totally au fait with how all this works, so I apologise for confusing anyone!

[Godimabitch]

Plant some trees and wildflowers and put a little summer house out there to watch the wildlife. Money isn't the meaning of life.

[witheringrowan]

Are you talking about land that actually has a outline or full planning consent, or land that was included in a local plan call for sites, and has subsequently been identified as a potential part of the 5 year housing land supply but would still need to go through the full planning process? It's a massive difference in status, timescale for development and value of the land.

Either way, you should speak to a development land agent.

[Viviennemary]

Take the money. If you don't somebody else will. Eventually.,

[Rosebyanothername19]

@SabrinaMorningstar you are right i don't really know what is going on. It is about 12 acres though. The proposed plan is for 120 houses.