Inheriting field - how to get planning permission?

[Zer]

I am about to inherit an 11 acre field on the outskirts of a busy town. It is next to a housing development. I want to sell it but to maximise my return I want to get pp on it - currently for agricultural use.

Does anyone know the rough process?

@Panicmode1 your job sounds cool. I'm envious 😂

And I wish I'd done architecture, not surveying, but my maths wasn't strong enough 😁

@Panicmode1 Haha! I did my architectural degree because my maths wasn't good enough for the land surveying degree! 😂😂

😂😂😂😂 Shall we swap?

I'd speak to a decent land agent. If you are in the south east I can recommend a good one

Talk to a land agent, ideally one that also has a planning team - e.g. Bidwells/Savills/Knight Frank.

Think about uses other than residential too. Lots of demand for logistics at the moment. Or if its been agricultural for ages, there would be tons of potential for biodiversity uplift - value won't be as high as a development use, but comes with a lot less grief & hassle from neighbours. Carbon offset also worth considering. A good land agent could work through all the options with you.

So what was it valued at for probate purposes? If you sell it for significantly more, I think you’ll be in Capital Gains tax territory.

As an "amateur" in planning and land development you will need to pay for professional advice to get the land rezoned for development. Once that happens you can sell to developers but as they will be taking the lion's share of the risk, they will also want the majority of the profits.

You have one piece of land to sell, they have multiple options to buy. Don't be greedy, do find people you can trust to give you good advice.

You really don't want to go to a planning consultant first - go to a land agent. There is a big difference between getting any planning consent and getting one that a housebuilder actually wants to build out. Planning is also an incredibly complex and expensive process, and if you are new to it, you are much better off in a promotion or option agreement either with a developer or with a land promotion company. They take on all the planning risk, you don't have to put in any money upfront and you won't end up having spent thousands of pounds at the risk of not getting planning consent. The ultimate return might be lower, but it is significantly less risky for you.

You'll also get tax advice, which a planner will not be able to give you. You have to be very careful around how deals are structured - your site is of a size that a developer might want to split it into tranches & do phased payments, but your CGT liability is all upfront, which could cause problems with cashflow. Equally, there are certain things that if you do them to the site, you are classed as a trader rather than an individual and will have to pay a higher tax rate.

This is so depressing. Don't build on the very little green land we have left in this country.

It might no get you as much as selling it for residential use but I'd think about seeing if it has potential for a solar farm. You can sell or rent it to the developer. At least you would be doing something beneficial for the environment while also making money.

People need houses. It's next to a huge brand new development on the edge of a town. Its hardly a secret valley in the Cotswolds. Where do you live?

I doubt very much we'd get permission, but the land agent will advise.

Thanks. The person dh has found is a land agent.

@Panicmode1 you can have my job, I'm leaving the industry! I've had enough of viewing the world around me in 2D lines and looking at every single building like "wonder what that'll look like with grey windows, larch cladding and Brazilian roof slates" 😂

@Zer good luck, sounds exciting for you x

@Architectahoy I’m a land agent, a lot of land agents I know just did a one year masters. You can do it by apprenticeship too now!

Good luck OP but I don't think you've got much chance.

OH god yes, flipping larch cladding 😂it's ubiquitous!

Good luck with the next chapter - I actually only now do one day a week with the land agent working on planning stuff; I work for a charity doing something completely unrelated on my other 3 working days and am so happy (if a LOT poorer!).